


The Beauty of Life

by Anime_no_Akuma



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Action, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 309,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25656823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anime_no_Akuma/pseuds/Anime_no_Akuma
Summary: Failing in school never really bothered Ame. After all, she's happy with what she has now: a loving family, great friends, and a cool job. What she lacks in ambition, she makes up for with her skills. But when the E-Class welcomes a new teacher, she learns that maybe, just maybe, there's a little more that's worth fighting for.~"Sorry. I thought you meant my katana.""But why do you have a REAL katana in the first place!?"
Relationships: Isogai Yuuma/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 110





	1. First Period: Ame Time

Ame sighed, a hand in her pocket and the other holding her bag. Just ahead was the trail leading to the top of the mountain, where the campus for the E-Class could be found.

Away from the main campus.

Far, far away, so as to properly separate the good crop from the bad one.

She didn’t really care about ending up amongst the losers and the misfits, but she could tell climbing up and down that damn mountain each day would get really old, really fast.

_Well, it’s not like I have a choice in the matter anyway._

She pulled out her watch to check the time. It was an old thing, scratched and rusted all over, but she never bothered finding another one.

 _I’m going to be late,_ she mused. She cracked her neck a little, before starting her ascension. _Though I doubt whatever teacher I ended up with will care._

And on that joyous thought began her first day of school.

She had been walking for about fifteen minutes when loud footsteps suddenly echoed behind her, the breaking of twigs and leafs too loud to be made by anything other than another fellow human.

_Surely another student who’s late…_

A feminine yelp drew her attention, followed by the distinct sound of something hitting the ground. Curious despite herself, the teen stopped in her tracks and looked back to the person who had obviously fallen. She raised an eyebrow when realizing that it actually was a woman, who was rubbing her sore butt.

“Are you sure you’re not lost, lady?” she called, the words rolling off her tongue before she could stop them.

The woman ‘eeped’ and looked up to her, apparently surprised to find someone. A deep blush spread on her cheeks and she quickly rose back to her feet.

“I- I’m fine! And I’m not lost, don’t worry! My name is Yukimura Aguri, I’m the teacher of Class 3-E!” she answered, beaming at the young girl. “And you are—“

“Late,” deadpanned the teen. “And so are you.”

Her sensei blinked once. Twice. Then, she paled dramatically. Next thing Ame knew, the woman had grabbed her wrist and was now running, forcefully dragging her along. The black-haired girl’s eyes widened with a mix of wonder and fright.

When was the last time someone had taken her by surprise?

“Hurry, hurry!” pressed her teacher, grinning her way as she pulled her along. “We don’t want to lose any more of the day, right?”

Ame didn’t answer, simply following.

Maybe this year wouldn’t be as boring as she first thought it’d be.

* * *

.

.

Yukimura burst into the classroom, panting and already profusely apologizing to her startled students. She had been planning on getting there before any of them so as to welcome them, but her boss (husband, future husband) had made her work late the night before and so she had slept in the following morning. Adding to that that she spent a lot of time trying to find the perfect shirt, and also the unexpected difficulty that was reaching the classroom itself, well…

“… can you let go now?”

The woman gasped, instantly releasing the young girl she had basically abducted earlier. When learning she would be late, she hadn’t thought twice about dragging the poor teen around like a ragdoll.

“I’m terribly sorry for manhandling you of the sort!” she bowed deeply, flustered.

“No harm done,” shrugged her student. Yukimura couldn’t help but notice how she didn’t seem phased in the slightest by their sudden run. “Though maybe you should start class, now.”

“R- right!”

Nodding, the senior leisurely made her way to one of the desks in the back, where a blonde girl instantly greeted her. They bumped fists, the blonde offering a grin while the black-haired one’s lips twitched into a smirk.

“I deeply apologize for running late!” The teacher bowed yet again, this time to the whole class. “But please, let us waste no more time. I will start with the roll call. When I call your name, please stand up and present yourself. That way, we’ll all get to know each other!”

“What exactly should we say, sensei?” inquired a black-haired boy at the front.

“Hmm… How about your age, your favorite hobby, and your worst subject?” The students didn’t seem all that convinced by her suggestion, but she didn’t let them ponder over it. “Alright! Let’s start with… Isogai-kun!”

The same black-haired boy who had just questioned her rose from his seat.

“I’m Isogai Yuma. I am sixteen years old, I enjoy playing tennis, and my worst subject is biology.”

“It’s very nice to meet you!” beamed Yukimura-sensei as he sat back down. “Okajima-kun?”

A boy with his hair almost all shaved rose. “I’m Okajima Taiga, I’m fifteen, I like collecting books, and I’m the worst at math.”

“Collecting books? Wow, what kind?” wondered the teacher, curious.

A heavy blush spread on his cheeks, and he instantly sat back down, mumbling under his breath. She chuckled a little, before following with the roll call. All of the students were unique, with different interests and different obstacles to overcome. However, it didn’t take her long to realize that most (for not saying all of them) had already given up on their grades or their school life in general.

“Nakamura-kun?”

The blonde girl with the blue eyes she had noticed earlier jumped to her feet, apparently full of energy.

“I’m Nakamura Rio! I’m fifteen, I really like spending time with my friends, and I’m no good at civics.”

“Well, we’ll simply have to work on that, then,” smiled the teacher. “Now… Naoki-kun?”

The black-haired girl she had met in the mountain lazily got up. Her orange eyes were somewhat dull, and she couldn’t help but notice the ring the girl was wearing on the middle finger of her left hand as it caught the light.

Arms crossed over her chest, she seemed rather annoyed at the whole situation.

“The name’s Naoki Ame. I’m fifteen. I have difficulties with math, and my hobbies are… well, I like sports, I guess. Who cares, really?”

“W- well…” Yukimura then pursued with the roll call, somewhat taken aback by the nonchalant attitude of the young girl.

Once she made sure everyone was present, she started her first class of the day. She tried her best to make it interesting and to get closer to her precious students. However, this was not an easy task, considering a grand majority wasn’t paying attention, a few were trying but obviously had difficulties following, and rare were those who actually participated.

 _Well,_ she sighed internally. _This is going to be a difficult year._

* * *

.

.

The bell rang, signaling the start of lunchtime. All of the students were quiet as they ate, though, and Yukimura felt a painful pang in her heart at the sight. Students were supposed to be full of life, rambunctious, loud… but they were all stuck in those depressed mindsets of theirs.

 _I need to do something,_ she frowned, thinking hard. _But what?_

* * *

.

.

Ame was relaxing outside, enjoying the soft rays of the sun through the leaves of the tree she was perched in. The class had been rather boring, if she was to be honest, though she had to give her new teacher some props for actually trying. From what she’d heard, the usual teachers of the End Class were all convinced their students were losers and so didn’t bother with actually teaching.

_Ugh, I hate school…_

If she was given the choice, she simply wouldn’t come. It was boring, she felt like she was wasting her time, and she didn’t understand half the stuff they were shown. So, frankly, she was annoyed to no end with it. However, her late parents had paid a lot of money so that she could get into the best school there was even if they wouldn’t be there to actually force her to go, and she didn’t want it to go to waste.

Well, that and her family would kick her ass back in school if she ever tried to get out.

 _They want me to have an actual education but couldn’t care less about making me miss some classes for the missions,_ she snorted. _Hypocrites_.

“You should be careful, you know?”

The black-haired girl cracked an eye open, glancing down from the branch she was lazily lying on. Below was a boy from her class. The official class representative of 3-E, right?

“I never fall,” she simply replied, closing her eyes again. “And even if I did, I’d probably break my neck and die on the spot, so I wouldn’t feel the pain anyway.”

The boy sweatdropped a little. “That’s… not exactly better.”

“Meh. That would depend on one’s point of view,” she shrugged. Then, realizing she wouldn’t be able to relax anymore, she sighed heavily. “Great, now I’m fully awake.”

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she simply rolled off the branch. There was a startled gasp from the boy, but she simply ignored it and flipped in midair, thus easily catching her fall and landing on her feet with practiced ease.

“Isogai-kun, was it?” she remarked, ignoring how he gaped at her. “Thanks for waking me up. How _nice_ , really.”

“O- oh! You’re very welcome, Naoki-san!”

That was sarcasm, she grunted internally. However, she couldn’t help but notice how he genuinely believed her helped her out, and she suddenly didn’t feel like crushing his hopes. So innocent… Too bad this world will end up breaking him. People like him are the most easily crushed and tossed aside.

“Let’s go,” he proposed, gesturing for the classroom farther away. “Class is about to start again—“

Her phone suddenly started ringing. Not bothering with an apology or any other politeness, she accepted the call and turned her back to him.

“Hana?”

**“We’ve got a big fish. Feeling up for the usual?”**

“Hell yes,” sighed gratefully the girl. “Where?”

**“The maid café near your school. We’ll send you a picture plus the rest of the info, and our client set the deadline to tomorrow evening.”**

“He’ll have the results by tonight, then,” mused the girl. “I’ll be there in a sec.”

**“Happy to skip, uh?”**

“You know me too well. See you later.”

**“Later. Be careful.”**

“Always am.”

The teen then hung up, and finally reported her attention to her class President.

“Sorry, Isogai-kun,” she grinned a little, a pointy fang showing. “Looks like I’m gonna have to skip class today. Mind passing on the word to Yukimura-san?”

“W- wait—“

“Thank you~!” Only too happy to leave, Ame wasted no time in vanishing in the forest.

Isogai stared at her quickly retreating back, simply wondering what the hell had just happened.

* * *

**_ Target: Sasahito Mamoru. Head of the Yatsuba Phone Company.  _ **

**_ Mission: Retrieve the plans for the next phone to be released by the company. _ **

**_ Mission deadline: Two days. _ **

Ame rolled her eyes when reading over the information she had received—if she could call that information, really. Trust Karasu to be thorough with his explanations, seriously.

_Well, whatever. It’s not like I need anything more._

As told, she found her target at the maid café, staring dreamily at one of the girls’ ample chest. Scoffing at the sight, she simply went to take a seat just in front, so as to keep the man in view. As she waited for him to leave, she read through a few articles about her target and his company. Soon enough, she found the name of an important competitor coming up.

_So that’s our client, uh? It was a rather easy guess, honestly. Go figures._

Suddenly, her target moved. She narrowed her eyes when realizing he was finally leaving and made her move as soon as he stepped out of the maid café. Moving into his path as soon as he finished crossing the street, she accidentally stumbled into him. The man grunted at the impact, and she instantly took a step back.

“I’m so sorry!” she bowed deeply. “I wasn’t looking where I was going, I deeply apologize…” She then trailed off, on purpose of course. “Wait, might you be… Uwah! Sasahito-sama! I can’t believe it, it’s really you!”

“S- sama…?” His eyes widened slightly at the honorific, and a faint blush spread on his cheek as he took in the appearance of the young girl before him. “I…”

 _Dude, you’re like, forty years older than me!_ “Why, of course! You are one of the greatest genii this world has ever known! I’ve read the biography you wrote, and watched all of your interviews, and researched all of your work… I’m honored to meet you, truly!”

“Why, such heavy praises…” He rubbed the back of his head bashfully, though obviously pleased by what he was hearing.

_A big fish indeed. Hook, line, and sinker._

“Do you mind giving me an autograph? Oh, and taking a picture with me?” she wondered.

“W- well, I don’t see any problem with it…”

She pulled out a pen and paper, prepared. He signed it, all the while glancing at her chest not-so-subtly. Ignoring the urge to punch him in the face –she had chosen that shirt for a reason, after all-, she then pulled out her phone to take the picture. He passed an arm around her shoulders while she passed her own around his waist, and made a peace sign, grinning all along. Then, she pulled away and bowed once again, before scurrying off with a wave and the excuse of _“I’ll be late to school!”_.

As soon as he was out of sight, she pulled out from her pocket the wallet she had stolen from the man as they took the picture and quickly went through it. Shoving the money in her pocket, she then quickly took pictures of all of his personal information and grabbed the magnetic card that was inside.

Once she was done, she threw it on the sidewalk and simply walked away.

_First phase: complete._

* * *

.

.

She had been waiting at his house for hours, mapping out the area. The house wasn’t anything fancy, but the security around was top-notch. There were many cameras hidden around, a few guards keeping watch, and all of the doors required some passwords or special codes to open. As for the windows, well, they were tightly locked and apparently bullet-resistant. However, if Ame was good at one thing, it was breaking through impregnable defenses. Stealing and break-ins had been a part of her life since she was seven years old, and she had only honed her skills over the years. Obviously, the equipment provided by her… special friends helped out a lot, but she was always the one doing most of the work.

Of course, she couldn’t really complain. It was good money, after all.

The man had come back later, and she had watched with great amusement as he cursed his lost wallet. Of course, he could still get into the house, but it only helped her even more.

_This is going to be a piece of cake._

Night had finally fallen. Now that she had the cover of the darkness, she could move freely. So, without further hesitation, she climbed into the tree just outside of the fence and easily jumped onto it. She was careful not to jump on the other side, considering she had spotted an alarm hidden in the bushes below.

So, like a professional tightrope walker, she made her way on the fence and easily reached the house. Once there, she placed the copying lenses developed by Usagi over the two cameras placed at the entrance. As soon as she activated them, she swiftly landed before the door. The copying lenses worked kind of like mirrors, reflecting back the previous sights seen by the cameras they were used on.

Using the magnetic card she had stolen earlier, she then entered the house, careful not make a noise. She reached the stairs and made her way upstairs. She stopped two stairs before reaching the top, wary of any other surveillance cameras. However, she only found one at the door of the study, where she would more than likely find what she was looking for.

She readjusted the hood over her head and the mask covering the lower half of her face. Then, she pressed herself against the wall and started advancing. However, as soon as she did so, the camera moved. She froze in place, internally cursing her mistake. Had she taken a better look, she would have noticed that the camera was actually one to detect movements. Taking a few, deep breaths, a smirk then stretched her lips.

_All the easier for me._

She grabbed a small marble in her pocket. Then, she threw it in the opposite way. The movement of the object was in the camera’s range and so it instantly followed the movement. Ame used the opportunity to slip inside the study. She frowned when she closed the door, though, realizing that there hadn’t been any other security measures taken to protect it. Maybe the plans weren’t there after all?

_Well, I’ll just take a look first. Who knows? I might find something interesting._

She started going through the numerous papers scattered over the desk. After reading over a few of them, she realized that they were all scams. Or rather, decoys. Obviously, Sasahito had been expecting that someone would try to steal his precious documents, and so had prepared numerous fakes.

_Where are the real ones, then?_

Leaving the desk, she took a look around the room. There was a small bookcase, a few shelves, and a painting as well… Snorting, she headed for the painting. Without hesitation, she lifted it from the wall, and barely managed to refrain from laughing out loud.

_A safe behind a painting? A classic! Damn, people are so unimaginative…_

Unfortunately, the code for getting in was not as easy as using a magnetic card. It required a fourteen digits code, and she had no lead whatsoever on it.

_Well, guess it’s time to call for some support._

She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed the number. After a few seconds, a familiar voice echoed.

**“Yo~!”**

“Hey, Usagi. I’ve got a fourteen digits code before me. Can you crack it for me?”

**“Sure. You’ve got a key?”**

“Always.”

Pulling out the said key, or rather the chip, she then placed it over the lock. Instantly, a green light started beeping on it, sign it was activated.

**“Ah, I see… Don’t worry, I’ll be done in two minutes.”**

A voice suddenly echoed further down the hallway, and she cursed internally.

“You’ve got thirty seconds,” she warned in the lowest possible tone.

**“Don’t press a genius, brat.”**

But he was done exactly twenty-one seconds later. She hung up, promising him some dango for his service, and then opened the safe. Inside were the documents she was obviously looking for and she wasted no time in taking some pictures. Once she was done, she closed the safe and took back the chip. Instantly, it locked tight once again.

The voice was closer now, though.

She threw a business card on his desk, and then disappeared behind the door, just as it opened. In walked Sasahito, obviously annoyed with the person he was talking to on his phone. She passed in his back and escaped the room before the door could fully close, escaping the camera in the same second.

Once she was safe, her eyes wandered over to the now opened door of her target’s room, and an idea popped into her head.

_Well, if I can make some extra money…_

So she went inside. The young girl instantly found the secret stash of bills hidden under the bed and put it all away in her bag. As she was about to leave, though, angry footsteps followed.

_Crap, he’s coming back!_

Without hesitation, she dashed at the window. Breaking the lock as quietly as possible, she then slipped outside. She easily pulled herself up on the roof and, considering her job done, she started running.

_Mission: complete._

* * *

.

.

“I’m back~!”

“Welcome back!” called Usagi, suddenly appearing before her. “The mission went well?”

“As per usual,” she shrugged, pulling down her mask. She handed him over her phone so that he could get the info, along with a small bag of dango she had gotten along the way. “Thanks for the support.”

He grinned, before going to sit at his desk.

“Well, I’m no good when it comes to field missions,” he shrugged, taping on his computer too quickly for her eyes to follow properly. “I’ve got to be of some use, right?”

Usagi was one of the first members who had joined their group. With white hair tied in a bun and sparkling blue eyes, he was always eager to help his fellow members in however way he could. Hacking was his specialty, and he used his talents with technology to make up for his lack of physical abilities. He was a very close friend, even though she didn’t know his real name.

Shaking her head, the black-haired teen pulled out the autograph she had received earlier, placing it next to the phone.

“An autograph?”

“Give them to the client, as a bonus,” she shrugged. “They’ll surely be able to use it to forge the guy’s signature or something of the sort.”

“Ah, Ame-chan, always going beyond expectations,” he grinned. He then handed her back her phone. “But do you have to take a picture with each of your targets?”

“It’s funny,” she admitted, unashamed. “And my photo album is fantastic.”

“Just knowing you have a whole album of said pictures gives me the chills,” he rolled his eyes.

She simply laughed at that, stretching her arms a little. “Anyway, I’ll head back now. See you around.”

“Later. Oh, and Kitsune?” She tilted her head back to listen, and the man grinned. “Otsukaresama.”

* * *

.

.

Ame finally got home. She was tired, and hungry too, so she couldn’t wait to get some rest and have breakfast in the morning.

“Oh, welcome back, Ame-chan!”

“Obaa-san,” greeted the teen. “You shouldn’t stay up so late, you know?”

“I just wanted to make sure you get home safe, sweetie,” answered the old woman, her wrinkled face splitting into a soft smile. “How was work?”

“Good, good. I’ll receive my payment tomorrow at the latest,” answered the teen, before pulling out the money she had stolen earlier. “And I got some great tip too! I think I’ll buy the kids some candy when coming back from school tomorrow.”

“You shouldn’t push yourself so hard, Ame-chan,” remarked gently the grey-haired woman. “You know you’re allowed to have some fun, right? You don’t have to work all of the time…”

Ame grabbed her hands and held them in reassurance.

“Don’t worry, Obaa-san. I work because I can and because I want to help. It’s no problem at all, alright?”

“Well, if you’re certain… But don’t let this affect your own chance at a better future, Ame-chan,” she warned more seriously. “You have such a great potential… Please, don’t let it go to waste. That’s not what your parents would have wanted.”

She was talking about her ending up in the E-Class, that much was obvious.

“I know,” she simply assured, her grip tightening a little on the woman’s hands. “Don’t worry yourself about it, I’ve got everything under control.”

“I know you do.”

Biding her caretaker goodnight, the teen then quietly made her upstairs, to her bedroom. By now, she knew the whole place by heart, and so easily avoided all of the creaky parts and the cracked slats. Once she reached the room, she made her way to her bed, and let herself fall on it.

“Ow!”

Startled, the girl bolted upright as the mattress under her moved. In the blink of an eye, she had turned on the light… only to find one of the children rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“Oh, Jackie…” She sighed. She should have expected it, really. “I told you to stop sleeping in my bed, didn’t I?”

“But I had a nightmare…” The nine-year-old boy mumbled, lowering his gaze.

The quivering of his lips got the best of her, and she grunted in defeat.

“Fine, fine. You can sleep with me tonight, alright? But only tonight,” she warned, grabbing her things to get changed.

The blond boy nodded mutely, already falling asleep again. She turned off the lights, easily changing as her vision adapted to the darkness, and soon found herself under her covers, holding the little boy.

A few seconds later, she let sleep take over without a fight.

* * *

The next morning, Sasahito Masaru discovered his money missing. The only sign of a break-in was the full-black business card on his desk, with the white drawing of a fox and a simple word written under it.

_ZODIAC_

* * *

.

.

Someone was shaking her. Groaning in annoyance, she forced her eyes open, only to find Jackie earnestly trying to wake her up. Seeing her finally react, he let out a small cheer and jumped off the bed. Without any warning, he pushed apart the curtains, and she hissed when the sunlight harshly hit her eyes.

“Jackie…” She growled, now fully awake. “Do you have any idea of how late I came home last night?”

“But Obaa-san told me to wake you up, ‘cause otherwise you’ll end up being late to school,” he chirped without mercy.

Ame wanted to tell him to get lost and let her sleep. Who cared if she was late to school again? Not her, that was for sure. However, if there was one thing the young teen hoped with all of her might, it was that none of the kids ended up like her. She didn’t want to set the example, to have them believe it was okay to mess up in school and then mess up their whole lives.

She made her choices by herself, and she didn’t want others to make theirs because of her. She wasn’t the kind of person people should look up to or try to imitate.

“Ugh, I’m getting up, just get out already,” she gave in. The blond cheered yet again, running out of her room with a laugh. “Brat…”

She quickly changed into her uniform, passed a brush through her hair, and grabbed her bag and her phone. She then left her room. Passing by the kitchen, she took a hold of a few loaves of bread with cheese, kissed her caretaker on the cheek and ruffled all of the kids’ hair, before heading out. As she enjoyed her breakfast, she checked her phone to see if she had another mission. Other than the text informing her that the money had been delivered, there was nothing. Shrugging, she simply kept on walking towards the school.

* * *

.

.

“N- Naoki-kun!”

Yukimura Aguri stared at her student, startled. The day before, when Isogai had come in class and informed her of her student’s sudden leave, she had been somewhat worried, even though she clearly simply did it to skip the lessons. Seeing her now, though, all the worry washed away and, without hesitation, she lightly slapped her book over the teen’s head.

The teen instantly backed away with a hiss of pain. “Ouch! What was that for?”

“For leaving the class in the middle of the day,” replied firmly the woman. “How can you expect your grades to get better if you miss all of the lessons?”

“Err, I don’t?” She really didn’t. However, she was still a little grumpy thanks to the lack of sleep, and having this woman she only met yesterday sermon her wasn’t how she wished to start the day. “Look, I know what I’m doin’, ‘kay? I don’t need someone I barely know ta scold me like a kid, so just give yer classes and leave me da hell alone.”

Flabbergasted, the woman could only stare as the orange-eyed girl walked passed her to head for the classroom. Of all things, she hadn’t expected the teen to answer in such a way. Obviously, the girl had placed her studies as the last of her priorities. The woman sighed, before shaking her head. Naoki Ame was a difficult student, but Yukimura Aguri wouldn’t give up so easily. She was her student, and herself was her teacher.

It was a teacher’s job to help out their students, whether they wanted it or not.

* * *

During the lunch break, Yukimura read over all of her students’ files, though paid particular attention to Ame’s. All of her grades were average, she was failing rather badly in Math, Science, and History, but she held the highest overall scores in English and in Physical Education. She scored third place in English, and second in Physical Education.

 _That’s not a mix you’ll see often,_ she mused. _Though a simple look at her can tell how athletic she is. I wouldn’t have guessed about her English, though…_

And she knew just the right way to put this newfound information to good use.

* * *

“Naoki-kun?” A new period had started, and the teen was still in class. She lifted her head at the teacher’s call. “Would you mind translating what I have just written on the board?”

Ame read over the few lines, and read it in a bored tone.

“A single effort can get you through the day. A constant effort will get you through life.”

There was no hesitation in her tone, her accent top-notch and not a stumble in her words. She was obviously used to this kind of thing, and Yukimura couldn’t help but wonder about her true skills in the second language.

“You read that so easily…” then mused Maehara, gaining her attention. “Do you have a family member that speaks English or something?”

“Kind of,” she shrugged. “I’ve been learning since I was seven, so I’m practically fluent now.”

 _So she’s good, but not because she studied it per se,_ understood her teacher, letting her students chat a little more. It was good for the class’s moral. _Basically, she’s a student who never bothered to work for anything that doesn’t interest her. English is easy for her, so she doesn’t care about getting better, and she simply enjoys physical activities. If she’s not interested enough, then she won’t bother trying._

Yes, Naoki Ame truly was a difficult student. But no matter! Yukimura always enjoyed overcoming challenges, after all.

* * *

.

.

A week passed. On the five days of school, Ame skipped three, including the first one. On the two days she was present, she was late both times, fell asleep more than once during class, and never bothered with her homework unless it was some English assignment, and even then it was done without many efforts. Yukimura wasn’t ready to give up and kept on strictly scolding her despite being blown off the first day. Naoki had already gotten used to her sermons and no longer bothered with answering or even storming off, simply passing through each of her teacher’s rants without paying it any attention.

To be honest, though, the woman didn’t really know what more she could do.

“You seem bothered today.”

She jumped a little, tilting her head to the man on the other side of the glass. For months now, they had passed hours together, as scientist and guinea pig, and she had grown very fond of the assassin known as the Reaper.

“One of my students is giving me a hard time,” she admitted without shame, always open to the conversation. “She’s talented and full of potential but stops making any effort as soon as she loses interest. How am I supposed to teach someone who doesn’t want to learn?”

The man hummed, understanding her plight. If someone wasn’t ready to help themselves, then they wouldn’t let others help them either. However, to hear about someone so young being so demotivated made him curious.

“Why don’t you try keeping her interest, then?” he proposed, his tone even but with a faint touch of amusement. “Someone disinterested is someone who lacks purpose. If you give her such a purpose, then maybe she will be more open to learning.”

Understanding dawned on the teacher, who gasped. “I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that! It should work, and I know—“

The door suddenly slammed open, letting enter a very angry Yanagisawa.

“What the hell is taking you so long!? Stop wasting my time already!”

He roughly grabbed her hair, shaking her like a ragdoll. She simply let him, knowing she wasn’t strong enough to fight back and also aware that there would be much worst consequences if she ever tried to stand up for herself. He’d find a way to make her lose her job as a teacher, and what would happen to her precious students, then?

She couldn’t risk it. She couldn’t risk _them._

* * *

.

.

The first day of the second week, Yukimura was glad when Ame finally deigned to join the class, even though it was already the second period. She now understood her mistake and intended to change things. She had been scolding Ame as if she was like any other student and as if herself was like any other teacher. In the girl’s eyes, Yukimura was no more than another annoying adult wasting her time telling her things she already heard before.

Well, time to change this, nodded internally the woman.

“Naoki-san,” she called. “Come see me at my office during the lunch break, please.”

The teen rolled her eyes and went to sit at her desk, and she exchanged quiet greetings with Nakamura. The blonde was obviously used to her friend’s antics and lateness, though.

“Anyhow, as I was saying…”

Soon enough, it was the lunch break. By some miracle, Naoki had yet to receive one of the mysterious phone calls that always made her leave the school without another look back. And, without much of a fuss, she headed to her teacher’s office, readying herself for yet another boring lecture.

_Wonder when she’ll realize she’s wasting her time._

She knocked at the door. After a few seconds, a muffled ‘enter’ was heard, and she did as told… only to freeze at the sight that greeted her.

“Yukimura-sensei… Do you need some help?”

“I- I’m fine!” assured the woman, struggling to hold the weight of all the books she had picked up at once. “I’m—whoa!”

Sure enough, she lost her balance and hit the ground with a ‘THUD’. The books scattered over the floor as she whimpered pitifully, and Ame sighed.

“Seriously,” she grunted, crouching down to pick up the books. “You ought to be less clumsy, Yukimura-sensei. Next thing we know, we’ll find your body in a ditch or something.”

“R- right…” Such dark humor, she sweatdropped. She then got up, before blinking in surprise as the girl easily picked all of the books and placed them on the desk. “Oh, thank you! You sure are stronger than you look, uh?”

“I train a lot,” offered vaguely the teen. “What did you want to talk about?”

“O- oh! Right, take a seat, please!”

The woman pushed aside the papers covering her desk and sat down, while the blue-eyed girl did the same. Then, she offered her a smile.

“I’ve come to realize that always lecturing you would only waste both of our time,” she stated. The student startled a little, not expecting it. “Hence why I’ve decided to take a new approach to the situation.”

_Oh, she’s suspending me? Well, it might be better—_

“A reward system!” beamed the teacher.

“… what?” Ame truly was at loss.

“For each homework completed perfectly, I’ll give you candy,” grinned Yukimura. “And for each test with an above-average score, I’ll treat you to dinner.”

“I’m not some stray dog you can tame with food,” huffed the girl, crossing her arms over her chest. “And candies, really? I’m not a kid either.”

She easily caught the projectile suddenly flying her way. Curious, she opened her hand, only to find a candy wrapped in a red and blue paper. Her eyes widened as a familiar scent hit her.

_Chocolate…?_

“For each homework completed perfectly, I’ll give you one of those,” repeated her teacher, taking great pride in the look of genuine surprise she had managed to inspire. “So, do we call it a deal?”

 _If I want to complete the homework, that means I’ll have to attend all of the classes without sleeping through and actually paying attention, though,_ she bit her lower lip, thinking hard over it. _She’s crafty, I’ll give her that. Though, when was the last time I ate chocolate? I always keep my money for more important things… But is it really worth it? I could—_

“Or maybe you’re not feeling up to the challenge?” Yukimura suddenly stated, making her stiffen. “It’s okay to feel unable to achieve something, you know? I guess we can simply forget about it—“

Yukimura had simply wanted to taunt the girl a little. She hadn’t expected the teen to jump to her feet, her chair loudly scraping the wooden floor, and _glare_ at her.

“I ain’t backing down from this,” she warned angrily. “I’ll take ya up on that dumbass deal, but ya better pay up when da time comes!”

And on that, she stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her. The teacher gaped for a few seconds, before realizing Ame had accepted. She pumped her fist in victory.

Things were bound to change, now.

* * *

.

.

In the following three days, Ame showed up late still but stopped skipping her classes. She was paying attention, even though her eyes wandered outside more often than note, and she caught her taking notes a few times too. Then, Friday morning, Yukimura was surprised to discover that Ame not only wasn’t late but was actually in advance. As soon as she saw her teacher, she rose to her feet and waved a paper in the woman’s face.

It was the homework she had given her the day before.

“Oh, you’ve done it?” she remarked, surprised.

“Obviously,” muttered the girl, looking away. “So, is it perfect or not?”

“Right, right.”

Yukimura settled at her desk and instantly started correcting. It was a Math homework, she had purposely chosen the girl’s hardest subject, but she had done less badly than she first thought she would.

 _Probably because she actually listened, for once,_ she mused.

After two minutes, she was done correcting the homework. On the ten exercises, the orange-eyed girl had missed four of them. When realizing it, she cursed under her breath. Something then hit her head and fell on her desk. Surprised, she looked down at the wrapped chocolate now before her, before lifting her eyes to the woman.

“I didn’t make a perfect score,” she scowled, clenching her fists a little. “I don’t need pity, nor a consolation prize.”

“Whoever said anything about a perfect score?” replied Yukimura, amused despite all. “I said ‘completed perfectly’. Considering you made an actual effort for it, you thus fulfilled your part of the deal. From now on, though, only better results will get you your reward. Feeling up to the challenge?”

Ame stared at her for a few seconds, gaping like a fish out of water. Then, of all things, she burst in laughter.

“N- Naoki-san?”

“You know…” A grin stretched on the girl’s lips. “I thought you were like all of the other teachers, someone who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about their students. But you’re not bad, Yukimura-sensei.” She grabbed the chocolate, twirling it between her fingers. “Not bad at all.”

“At first, I thought you were simply a difficult student who didn’t understand the importance of education,” admitted the teacher. “But you have talent, Naoki-san. Potential. I came to understand that you can do so much more than you do now if you simply have the motivation to do so.”

“You’re a crafty sensei, I’ll give you that,” snorted the teen. “Though you’re right on point. One way or another, though, I’m not one who easily ignores a challenge. Bring it on, Yukimura-sensei! I’m ready to win.”

The teacher and the student exchanged a matching grin, both unaware that this day would be their last together.

* * *

.

.

“So?”

**“Yukimura Aguri was a scientist working on a secret project of the government. Something went haywire, but they’re incredibly thorough about keeping the information off the files. Anyway, the whole base imploded a week ago or something, and many lost their lives, including that woman.”**

Ame fell silent.

**“… I’m sorry, Kitsune.”**

“Thanks for the help, Usagi.”

Before he could answer, she hung up. Then, she lifted her eyes to the moon shining in the sky, a lump in her throat and her guts churning painfully. She was feeling sick, angry, sad… but the tears simply wouldn’t come out. Sighing heavily, she grabbed a cigarette in her pocket. Lighting the tip, she then brought it to her lips and breathed in the smoke, allowing it to numb her senses, if only for a little while.

_Sayonara, Yukimura-sensei._

On which she lifted her eyes to the unnatural, blown up, crescent moon that had been hanging in their sky for a few days, now.

_This year just keeps on getting worst, doesn't it?_


	2. Second Period: Teacher Time

Class 3-E.

The End Class.

The class from which no students held any hope of ever returning to the main campus, the class where all the dreams were crushed, the class where all of the ambitions died and vanished, the class... the class that had to assassinate their own teacher.

There was a blast of wind, gaining the students' attention. They were tensed, ready to jump into the action. A few gulped, trying to calm down their nerves. Sweaty palms were rubbed over pants and skirts, a few knees were shaking in anticipation.

Their teacher casually strolled in, placing the roll book on the desk.

“Now, then…” His voice echoed in the thick silence. “Let’s get started. Student on duty, on your command.”

“Stand- stand up!” called Shiota Nagisa.

All students did as told, aiming their guns at the creature.

“Attention… Bow!”

They started shooting. Instantly, the yellow octopus started evading all of their attacks at Mach Speed 20 with ease.

“Good morning everyone! Now, fire away all you like—I’ll just be taking attendance. So… Isogai-kun?”

“H- here…!”

“I’m sorry, you’ll have to speak up with all this gunfire.”

“Here!”

“Much better. Okajima-kun?”

“Here!”

“Okuda-san?”

“Yes!”

The creature kept on going through the roll call, each student answering through the gunfire. However, once he reached the student number eighteen, no one answered.

“Naoki-san?” he called for a second time.

But as per usual, she was absent. Refraining the urge to sigh, he pursued with the roll call.

* * *

_A week earlier_

Two weeks had passed since Yukimura Aguri’s death, and a few more days since the moon’s mysterious destruction. The news only talked about the later one, though, and none of the students were aware of their teacher’s fate saved for Ame. During the third week of school, as soon as she noticed her sensei’s absence, she knew something was wrong. She had Usagi look into it and… well, she learned about everything.

She didn’t tell her classmates. If they wanted to know, they’d ask or look for answers. However, now that Yukimura-sensei was gone, a new teacher had taken over her duties. It was a no-name, boorish man who gave long lectures about how much failures like them cost to society but weren’t actually worth it, and was of no help at all in the lessons. No one bothered with questions anymore, struggling to understand by themselves, and Ame had returned to her previous habits, though she found herself skipping more and more of her classes.

The second month of school was starting when she arrived late as per usual… only to find numerous security agents around the E-Class campus. Frowning, she went inside and reached the class. When she entered, it was only to find even more agents, her dumbstruck classmates… and a gigantic, yellow octopus.

A moment of silence followed her arrival and she blinked a few times, trying to make sense of what was standing before her.

“Oh, good morning! You must be Naoki-san, right?” the thing greeted.

Correct that: it was a gigantic, yellow, _talking_ octopus.

“Okay,” she sweatdropped, before turning to her fellow students. “Which one of you spread hallucinogenic gas in the classroom?”

“He’s very real, unfortunately,” sighed one of the agents at the front, drawing her attention. “Please, go take your seat. I will explain everything.”

“Right…”

Shooting a wary look at the grinning octopus, she quickly went to her desk and offered a wide-eyed look at Nakamura. The blonde simply shrugged, offering a nervous smile: she too had no idea whatsoever of what the hell was going on.

_Gosh, I knew I shouldn’t have woken up this morning._

“Hello, how do you do?” then inquired the creature, his tentacles slithering around. “I’m the one who blasted your moon.”

There was a moment of silence. The students blinked, unsure of what to do.

“I plan to do the same to the Earth next year,” casually informed the monster. “Now I’m your teacher. Nice to meet you!”

 _I… have never been so confused in my entire life,_ sweatdropped Ame, along with the rest of her classmates.

“I am Karasuma, from the Ministry of Defense,” then greeted the agent that had directed her to her seat earlier. “First, please understand that what I’m about to say is a state secret.” He sighed heavily. “Let me be blunt: I want you to kill this creature.”

The teen shot a look at Nakamura, whose eyes had widened so much it was almost funny, and kind of ironic. She always complained about her eyes being too small…

“Um…” Mimura Koki raised his hand. “What is that? Is it the alien that came to attack us or something?”

“How rude!” snapped the octopus. “I’ll have you know, I was born and raised on Earth!”

“For real?” mumbled Ame, unsure of how she felt about that.

“I’m afraid I can’t discuss the details, but he’s telling the truth,” then confirmed Karasuma. “Come March next year, this creature who smashed the moon will destroy Earth as well. Only the world’s leaders know about this. If news of this guy gets out there, we’d be looking at a global panic. You’ve got to kill him in secret before that happens. In other words…” He suddenly pulled out a knife, slashing it at the monster. “An assassination!” But it easily avoided the blow, literally vanishing from sight, only to reappear on the other side of the agent. “But this guy… is extremely fast!” He tried again, he failed again. “You try to kill him… and he ends up grooming your eyebrows instead— immaculately!”

Ame held back a snort. How more ridiculous could the situation get? A blast of wind however wiped off her smirk as the creature suddenly faced them all again, his grin clearly mocking now.

“This super being has the power to turn a full moon into a crescent. His speed tops out at Mach 20! In short, if he gets away, we’ll be left helpless, awaiting our destruction,” pursued Karasuma.

“And that’s no fun,” added the octopus. “So, I made your government an offer: no killing me. Instead, I’ll teach Class 3-E at Kunugigaoka Junior High School.”

 _It still doesn’t make any sense,_ the students sweatdropped yet again.

“We don’t know what he’s after,” admitted Karasuma, a vein popping on his forehead. “But we were forced to agree, on the condition that he doesn’t harm any of your students. We have two reasons: first and foremost, coming to a classroom every day lets us keep an eye on him, and second, it gives some thirty people the opportunity to kill him from extremely close range.”

“That still doesn’t make any sense,” Ame replied, clicking her tongue and resting her chin on her palm. “Why would a super creature agree to that? Even more importantly, why would we agree to this?”

Karasuma glanced at her, unperturbed. “Success will be rewarded with ten billion yen.”

She snapped her mouth shut at that. Jaws dropped and hit the floor, eyes almost fell out of their orbits, hairs stood on the end of their necks; the students were under shock.

 _Ten… ten billion yen!?_ Echoed internally the black-haired teen.

“It’s only right,” remarked the agent. “A successful assassination will literally save the Earth. Luckily, he doesn’t think much of you. See?” Their attention was reported to their new teacher, whose face was now stripped in green. “Those green stripes mean he’s looking down on you.”

“What the hell kind of skin is that!?” protested the students, weirded out for good.

“Obviously,” taunted the monster. “If the government can’t kill me, how could you? Even when they sent their cutting-edge fighter jets after me… I ended giving them a coat of wax right there in midair!”

“You must find a chink in his defenses and strike at it,” announced Karasuma, brandishing his knife from earlier. Now that Ame took a closer look at it, the weapon seemed unnaturally soft. “You’ll have weapons and ammo that won’t hurt humans but will work on him. Also, you must keep this a secret from your family and friends. Now, there’s no time to lose. If the Earth should disappear, we’ll have nowhere left to run.”

“We’d already be lucky enough not to be amongst the seventy percent that will be blown apart, so thinking of escaping is kind of far-fetched…” Ame muttered under her breath.

Her new teacher apparently heard her, though, and a weird laugh escaped him.

“And that’s about it! Now let’s make the most of your one remaining year, everyone!”

_Well, guess things are going to be interesting again._

* * *

_Back to the present day_

The octopus was in the middle of an English lesson when the orange-eyed girl suddenly walked in, late yet again –for not saying she had already missed most of the day.

“Naoki-san, where were you this morning?” inquired the yellow monster, his tentacles wriggling around.

“Lost on the road of life, I’d guess,” she stifled a yawn, slumping down in her seat. “Do continue with the lesson, I won’t interrupt it again.”

“Naoki-san…” He was apparently annoyed but simply sighed. “Do stay after class. I wish to talk to you.”

 _Why does it sound so much like Yukimura-sensei?_ Ame was somewhat surprised at the sudden pang in her heart but instantly pushed it down. “Whatever.”

Apparently satisfied with that, their teacher then returned to his lesson. The black-haired girl held back a groan, before letting her gaze wander outside. It was a beautiful day, and she hated to see it waste away like that.

 _Well, there’s no way around it, I guess…_ Plus, it’s not like she actually wanted to skip anymore. _After all, there was a ten billion bounty on the octopus’s head. Ten billion yen…_

That was a lot of money.

That was a lot of _easy_ money.

 _I just have to time everything carefully. As soon as the opportunity presents itself…_ Her fist clenched a little. _I’m claiming the kill—and the prize._

* * *

.

.

“Later!”

It was lunchtime. Their yellow teacher had vanished and was apparently heading for China with his Mach 20 speed. As soon as he was gone, though, Ame lazily straightened up and stretched her arms.

“Ne, Ame?” The girl glanced at Nakamura, who was eying her with curiosity. “How come you haven’t tried anything yet? I thought you’d be the first to jump on the opportunity, what with the reward and all, but you haven’t made a single assassination attempt yet…”

An amused smile quirked the girl’s lips as she let her finger trace the contour of her ring.

“Tell me, Rio. What kind of student do I look like?” she asked.

“One that doesn’t really care…?” tried the blonde, unsure of where her friend was going with this. “You’re rather nonchalant about your grades or school in general, always late and often skipping… You don’t even seem interested in the assassination.”

“Right. Now, tell me: what kind of danger represents an uninterested assassin?”

Understanding dawned on the other girl, and she gasped. “No way! You’ve been planning this all along?”

“It wasn’t that hard to fake, of course,” shrugged the blue-eyed teen, leaning back into her seat. “But I’ve had my eyes on the bounty ever since he arrived a week ago. I took for granted that he heard of me before, considering he knew my name when I first came in, and so he more than probably knew of my character already. I simply let him build up his assumptions. And, when the time is right…” One of the plastic knives suddenly slipped out of her sleeve, and her smile turned feral. “I’ll strike.”

“I’ll never understand how you can be so cool yet be such a failure when it comes to academics,” sweatdropped the blonde. Then, she beamed at her. “But I’d say you have a good enough chance! And now he wants to talk to you after class… Will you act then?”

“Who knows?” simply mused the eighteenth student. The knife slipped back into her sleeve, and Nakamura could only marvel at the ease with which her friend handled it. “One way or another, though, the money is mine.”

“Ah! Don’t count me out just yet,” grinned the girl, extending her fist to her.

Snorting, Ame bumped her own against it.

* * *

.

.

Ame narrowed her eyes slightly as Nagisa suddenly started to make his way towards their teacher. He obviously wasn’t done with the assignment, it had just been given. However, looking closer, she spotted the knife hidden between the papers, and she held back a smirk. Due to his casual pace and the total lack of bloodlust, she hadn’t even noticed what he was about to attempt until she noticed the weapon.

_Hell, it might even work!_

And even though Ame wanted the money, she wasn’t about to mess up someone else’s attempt. Plus, she was curious. Would he actually manage to lend a hit? The anticipation rose in the class as the rest of the students finally realized what was going on. Then, when Nagisa reached the unaware octopus, he suddenly moved. However, his wrist was easily caught by the slithering creature, who chuckled mockingly while using a tissue to pull the knife out of the boy’s hand.

“I told you, didn’t I?” he taunted. “Be more inventive!”

But as soon as the knife was out of the way, Nagisa suddenly moved forward and wrapped his arms around their sensei.

A heartbeat passed.

There was a moment of silence.

Then, there was the explosion.

Ame cursed, covering her head as she dropped it against the desk to protect herself from the numerous projectiles. Those that did hit stung, but didn’t pierce her skin, so she guessed they were all Anti-BB balls.

_Still, though, for Nagisa-san to be at the center of the explosion…_

The blue-haired boy wouldn’t come out of this unscathed, that much was certain.

“Yes!” suddenly cheered Terasaka, in the back.

“We did it!” echoed Muramatsu, pumping a fist in the air.

“Ten billion yen! Cha-ching!” laughed Yoshida.

Ame was almost scared to look. Forcing herself to lift her eyes, she instantly noticed the dark form on the floor and held back a cringe.

_That monster? Or… or Nagisa-san?_

Feeling a little sick, the orange-eyed teen ignored her classmates’ cries and protests directed at the three responsible for this mess. She got up, her heart beating in slow motion, and made her way to the collapsed shape… and let out a sigh of relief.

“Nagisa-san’s fine!” she called, drawing everyone’s attention.

“What do you mean, Naoki-chan?” asked Kayano, worried, and hopeful at the same time.

“I don’t really know how, but he’s perfectly fine,” mused the teen, staring at the weird, yellowish thing now covering the boy. He looked uninjured, though unconscious. “I think this membrane protected him, wherever it came from…”

“As it happens, I shed my skin once a month.” All the students startled at the voice of their teacher which came out of seemingly nowhere. “I protected Nagisa-kun there, by covering him with my old skin. It’s my once-monthly ace-in-the-hole!”

**_D_ ** **A _N_ G _E_ R.**

**_R_ ** **U _N_.**

**D _A_ N _G_ E _R_!**

The black-haired girl snapped her eyes to the ceiling, where the octopus was hanging. His eyes had turned red, gleaming despite the light, and the atmosphere seemed to thicken, the sudden feeling of danger enough to make her choke.

_Get out. We have to get out._

**_GET OUT!_ **

But no matter how hard she wanted to, her body wouldn’t move.

“Terasaka. Yoshida. Muramatsu. You three… you’re behind this, right?”

And then, his skin turned to a pitch black. The happy-go-lucky creature had become this monstrous being, one that could very kill each and every single one of them before the first corpse even hit the floor.

Ame knew then and there that this was a fight they couldn’t win.

“N- no!” Terasaka managed to bit out without pissing himself, somehow. “It was all Nagisa’s idea!”

There was a half-second of silence. Then, the monster disappeared. Before any of them could fully comprehend what had just happened, though, he was back, and he dropped numerous nameplates that scattered loudly on the floor.

 _Nameplates?_ Ame paled. _Those are from everyone’s houses…_

“My agreement with your government says I won’t harm you,” he stated darkly, a few nameplates still in his tentacles. “But if you try another assassination like that one… I might just harm someone else.” Ame’s breath hitched at the barely hidden threat. “Your family, your friends… Or I could wipe out the whole planet apart from you.”

 _There’s no running away,_ the black-haired girl realized, dread churning in her guts. _No escape route, no easy way out. If we ever want to escape that thing… then we’ll have to kill it._

_Guess it’s a good thing it’s not my real address that’s written in my student file, uh?_

“What- what the hell’s your deal anyway!?” finally snapped Terasaka, acting stupid and brash as per usual. “You’re just a giant pain! Showing up all ‘I’m gonna blow up your Earth’ and ‘assassinate me’! What’s so wrong with using an annoying method to kill an annoying guy, uh!?”

And, as if nothing ever happened, the whole air suddenly lightened. Ame gasped, taking in some much-needed air as their sensei’s face turned orange, with a darker circle.

“Annoying?” he chirped, back to normal. “Hardly. Your idea itself was a very good one. Especially you, Nagisa-kun.” One of his tentacles patted the boy’s head. “The way you carried yourself so naturally on your approach gets full marks. You made it right through the chink in my defenses. However!” The three other teens tensed as their sensei glared at them. “None of you looked out for Nagisa-kun, not even Nagisa-kun himself. Students like that aren’t fit to assassinate anyone.” He then turned to the rest of the class. “We need an assassination worth smiling about— one to be proud of! You’re all capable assassins who have that power within you. Just some advice from your teacher and your target.”

Considering the situation had finally been handled, Ame managed to force her stiff muscles to move and slowly made her way back to her seat. Slumping down in her chair as their sensei concluded his lecture, she bit her lower lip in anger.

She was ashamed to admit it… but she had been terrified.

_I need to kill him—_

“Oh! How about ‘Korosensei’?” suddenly exclaimed Kayano.

“For ‘un-killable’, right?” blinked Maehara, before grinning a little. “Sounds fitting.”

The rest of the class loudly stating their agreement brought Ame out of her dark musings, and she sighed internally. Giving that damn octopus a name would only strengthen the bond he was already forming with the students, something she found particularly idiotic.

 _Well, nothing to do about it now._ She started rubbing her temples, feeling a headache forming. _One way or another, though, I’m ending this once class is over._

* * *

.

.

At the end of the day, Ame found herself left alone with the newly named Korosensei. Since the beginning of the week, she had probably been the worst student this octopus ever had, and so it was no wonder he finally cracked.

“How are you feeling, Naoki-san?” he inquired, gesturing for her to take a seat.

“What’s it to you?” she replied, instead leaning against the window. She then shook her head. “No matter. Why don’t we stop avoiding the real matter at hand, uh? ‘Cause I’ve got places to be, people to see… You know how life works.”

He straightened a little, apparently more serious now.

“We have known each other for almost a week now. Each time, you arrived late in class. You skipped a few of your lessons, you left early two times, and you pay absolutely no attention when you actually bother showing up to class. You haven’t even attempted to kill me yet! So tell me, Naoki-san: what have you so busy that you can’t afford to actually succeed in your studies?”

“That’s none of yer business. What I do with ma time isn’t any of yer concern,” she scowled a little. “And if I haven’t tried ta kill ya yet, it’s ‘cause I know I can’t. Just today’s incident was enough ta make it definitive: none of us are strong enough ta kill ya, even less me. Have ya got any idea of how terrifying that was?” Her tone rose a little. “I’m a coward, sensei, through and through. I’ve always been taught ta run from da fights I can’t win, ‘cause that’s one of da rules if ya want ta survive in this world. There’s just no going against da natural order of things!”

The yellow creature stared at his student for a moment. Her arms were crossed over her chest in a defensive position, and she wasn’t looking at him per se, either. Her eyes were actually fixated on the wall behind him. Her knuckles had turned white, and he could hear the maddening pace of her heart.

“I never expected you to be such a defeatist, Naoki-san,” he admitted.

“I’m being realistic,” she snapped, rising to her feet. She then grabbed her bag. “Look, if you’re going ta waste ma time, then count me out. I’ve got better things ta do!”

As she reached the door, though, he suddenly appeared between her and the exit at Mach 20, tentacles wriggling frantically.

“W- wait!” he begged, flustered.

 _Gotcha_.

She extended her hand, as if to push him out of the way. At the last moment, though, the knife slipped from her sleeve and she slashed it at his face. His small eyes widened somewhat as he barely managed to avoid the hit, and she used the opportunity to slip between two of his tentacles… before promptly cutting them off. Yellow liquid spurted out.

The teacher instantly disappeared.

Blinking a few times, startled, the teen then huffed in annoyance. Spinning on her heels, she twirled the knife in her hands as she faced her sensei again, who was now standing at the complete opposite of her.

“Tche,” she grunted, putting away her weapon.

“Naoki-san…” His two tentacles regenerated, and his face suddenly turned orange as his smile widened, if possible. “What a wonderful assassination that was! Have you been planning for a while?”

“Since your arrival in this class,” she shrugged, lifting her bag on her shoulder. “I knew you had heard of me before since you knew me by name and obviously by reputation. I simply decided to play with your expectations of me, which forced you to lower your guard.”

“And your earlier outburst…?”

“Was partially true,” she admitted, running a hand through her hair. “You scared the crap out of me, sensei. However, un-killable being or not, I’m not about to give up so easily on the bounty. I want the big prize, sensei! Now my cover’s blown, though, so I guess surprise attacks won’t work as well anymore…”

He chuckled, green stripes spreading over his face. Then, he was once again next to her, though this time patting her head. The teen stiffened at the touch. Despite the oddness of the situation, she could still feel the pride in this simple gesture.

“You have great potential, Naoki-san, both as a student and as an assassin. However, I must make things clear: from now on, you no longer will be late to class, nor will you skip said class. If you do not obey those rules, then I will have you disqualified from the assassination race.”

“What?” she protested, stepping back. “Ya can’t do that!”

“If you are not ready to pour all of your efforts into your studies and your assassination, then you are not fit to do both,” he replied, his tone even. “Your access to the special weapons and ammo will be refused, and you no longer will be allowed to take place in any of your classmates’ attempts to kill me. Have I made myself clear?”

The teen lowered her eyes, her grip tightening on her bag. In a way, she knew he was right. She knew that skipping and failing her studies like that wasn’t any good, but she simply couldn’t bring herself to really care about it. However, the idea of being kicked out of the assassination mission left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth, one of defeat.

Ame didn’t _know_ defeat. When she accepted a challenge, she went through with it.

 _And I need the money too._ Her grip tightened even more. _This opportunity… I can’t mess this up!_

“Fine,” she bit out, gritting her teeth. She then looked back to her sensei. “Fine! I won’t skip if I can help it, and I’ll try to always be on time from now on. But… I’ve gotta be honest with you about something, sensei. Or rather, two things.”

“Do go on, Naoki-san. I’m all ears.”

“First, believe it or not, but there’s an actual reason as to why I always come in after the roll call,” she informed. She wasn’t exactly comfortable with what she was about to share, but she had no choice at the moment. “It’s just… Ugh, I don’t like guns, ‘kay? They bring back… bad memories, to say the least. I can look at them without much problem, but hearing… Anyway, having a morning shooting round doesn’t exactly make my day.”

“Ah, I understand, now,” he nodded, thoughtful. “If you can promise me to be on time as much as you can manage, then I can promise you that I will find a solution to your little problem. What is the other ‘thing’, then?”

“Err…” She couldn’t tell him everything either, but today had shown her that she wouldn’t be able to act as per usual if she didn’t tell him the basics. “I’ve got a job. And they often call for me when I’m at school. I need the money, so that’s why I often end up leaving early. For that situation… I’m sorry, but I simply can’t ignore them. Or at least, not all of them. I need that money. Right now… right now, it’s more important than anything else.”

Once again, Korosensei stared at her for a moment, deep in thoughts. Then, he chuckled yet again, and she scowled a little.

“What’s so funny?”

“How about a deal, Naoki-san?” he then proposed. Again, she was painfully reminded of Yukimura-sensei. “If ever you receive such a call during class hours, then you will be allowed to leave. That is…” Green stripes once again spread on his face. “If you can manage to escape.”

“… what?”

“It is just as I said! If in class, you escape the classroom. If outside, you escape the campus itself. If you can manage that, then I’ll let you go. However, if I catch you while you try to escape, then you have to give up and pursue with your usual day ‘til the end. So, feeling up to the challenge, Naoki-san?”

The girl’s right eye twitched. “Don’t look down on me. I’m a master at evasion tactics! I’m game, Korosensei. Let the best of us win!”

“Niryufufufu,” laughed her teacher. “Let’s have a fun class together this year, Naoki-san, and good luck.” His green stripes became even more pronounced. “You’re going to need it.”

* * *

.

.

“Well, you sure find yourself in a pinch, uh?”

“Ugh, I know.”

Inu chuckled at the face she was making, apparently finding her plight amusing. He then shook his head, reporting his attention on the flowers he was arranging. With a sigh, Ame leaned back into the couch and watched him work. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she found herself slowly forgetting about her troubles as the scent of the flowers filled the air.

Inu was nineteen, only four years her senior, but he always looked much older than his age. He was extremely talented too, and always accomplished his missions without any trouble. In the group, he was the best tracker. He could find any target in record time, anywhere, anytime, under any condition. He had already joined when she was initiated, and they instantly hit it off, what with being the youngest members of the Zodiac.

“Ne, Inu?” He never told her his real name, like many of the others. “Where are the other members? I know Saru is somewhere in America with Tora, Ratto, and Ondori, and I also know that Usagi is somewhere in the base working on our security system, but what about everyone else?”

“Curious, aren’t you?” he mused while carefully cutting one of the flowers. “Well, Hebi, Uma, and Yagi are on an infiltration mission together. Ryu is planning in his study along with Buta, Same is somewhere in Kyoto, Buru is still undercover and Karasu… well, he’s Karasu: he’s pretty much everywhere.”

That earned a laugh from the teen. “True that. And they all know about Korosensei?”

“Kid, we knew before you did,” he mused. “Though none of us would have guessed that he’d become your sensei. Still claiming the bounty?”

“Aa. I’ll tell you guys if I ever need reinforcement,” she confirmed.

Always well informed, the Zodiac members had learned of Korosensei as soon as the lab exploded. A week later, the bounty for the creature’s head had made a huge wave in the Underworld, and they had instantly started gathering their information. After all, there was no doubt that many would pay for their services soon enough.

The look of pure surprise on most of their faces had been totally worth it, though. None had expected that octopus to actually become her teacher, of all things. She placed her claim on the mission, something all of the members respected, but of course, that wouldn’t stop the group form selling their info to the greatest buyer. They had to make money somehow, after all.

The Zodiac was one of the shadow clans of the Sumiyoshi-Kai, the third largest Yakuza group in Japan. They were hardly known by the other clans, if not at all, and were an extremely exclusive group. Officially, they owned the territory around Tokyo, but let smaller gangs run around freely as long as they paid for it. Half of the profit they made was handed to the Zodiac, and they could do whatever they wanted with the other half. Drugs, gambling, and other illegal activities were allowed, as long as they didn’t involve children under the age of fifteen.

The members of the Zodiac itself were not allowed to involve themselves in such activities. Saved for some gambling, they were more into information gathering and more… specialized, missions. They usually acted for their own ambitions but helped if they could manage to do so without compromising themselves.

They were Ame’s second family. Or third, depending on how you looked at it. She didn’t know the real identity or even the name of most of the members, but she still considered them like her brothers and sisters, or weird aunts and uncles. They always looked out for her and taught her a lot of useful things and, frankly, the only reason she wasn’t a full-time member like the rest of them was that they still hoped she’d be able to have a better future than that. Ame didn’t care about that stuff, though. She couldn’t wait for the school year to be over with because then, they’d finally have to accept her decision of truly, fully joining the Zodiac.

Well, if they managed to get rid of the crazy octopus first, of course.

* * *

.

.

Ame got home early that day. She didn’t have any mission, and she didn’t feel up for going on a run or anything. Despite the brave front she put up, she was still a little shaken by Korosensei’s outburst. She had faced strong killing intent before, but even Saru’s couldn’t compare.

Someone suddenly knocked on her door. Before she could answer, it slammed open, revealing a grinning boy. With short, messy brown hair and a small scar over his right eye, he was spinning a basketball ball in his hands.

“Kiba! I told you to stop barging in like that!” she protested.

“Whatever. You said we’d play when you were free!” he replied.

“Who said I was free?” she replied, lifting an eyebrow. “Maybe I was about to do my homework, you know?”

The boy scoffed, throwing her the ball. “You _never_ do your homework, Ame-nee.”

“Cheeky brat,” she huffed. He wasn’t wrong, though. “Tche, fine! I’ll kick your ass as per usual.”

“As if! I’ll beat you this time!”

The challenge taking her mind off of her current preoccupations, the teen wasted no time in leaving her room and slamming the door behind her, shoving the boy a little as she started running.

“Race ya!”

“Wha—no fair! Oi, wait up!”

She simply laughed, going even faster. She could let loose for a little while. The assassination was going to take a lot of her time, she knew that now, and it’d be even harder to hang out with the kids considering she was getting more and more missions.

She’d enjoy her small moments of peace while they lasted.


	3. Third Period: Strategy Time

Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, Ame was now waiting at the entrance of the small building they called their class. Much to her own surprise, she had found herself trusting Korosensei to find a solution for her… issue. So, much to her annoyance, she found herself leaving early and reaching the E-Class campus in advance.

Frankly, it made her uncomfortable.

“Where the hell is he?” she muttered, annoyed. Her eyes darting from one side to the other, she was growing more and more anxious. “He better get here before the other students…”

There was a sudden, harsh gust of wind. Ame froze in place as the octopus appeared before her, his usual grin in place.

“Why, good morning, Naoki-san!”

“…’morning. So, what do you have for me?”

“These!”

The girl blinked as he extended one of his tentacles to her, offering her… earplugs.

“Earplugs?” She stared at him, unimpressed. “Do you even realize how much noise is produced by a fired gun?”

“Niryufufufu,” chuckled her teacher, green stripes now covering his skin. “Why don’t you try them on?”

Still not really sure, the girl however obeyed and put them in. They felt like normal foam earplugs, though.

“Now what?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I can still hear myself talking, you know?”

Without warning, he pulled out one of the guns used by the E-Class students and fired. The teen instinctively flinched, her hands flying to her ears… before realizing she hadn’t heard a noise.

“W- what?” she gaped.

“They’re electronic shooter earplugs that I made yesterday,” he explained, his voice perfectly clear despite the earplugs she was wearing. “They block out sounds exceeding 110 decibels, which means you can still hear normal speech but not gunshots or things of the like. So? What do you say?”

“I say… not bad.” She pulled them out, a small smile twitching the corner of her lips. “Not bad at all, sensei.”

He simply laughed again, rubbing his tentacles together. “Niryufufufu! So glad you approve. Now, how about we go and read some journals while we wait for the other students to arrive?”

The teen stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was serious. However, his damn grin was still firmly held in place and she couldn’t read him at all. It irked her, not being able to guess what he was thinking, but she decided to simply drop it.

It was too early for this shit anyway.

“Sure. Whatever.”

* * *

.

.

“Hmm. The moon is all they’re talking about in America too,” mused Korosensei, drinking his juice. “I wish there were more interesting front-page news.”

“Sensei, the moon was _destroyed_ and, from the general public’s point of view, there’s still no natural explanation for it,” Ame replied, rolling her eyes. She was lying on the grass, enjoying the warmth of the sun. “What else would they talk about? It’d be kinda stupid not to talk about it.”

“Well, I guess you are right,” nodded her teacher. “Though I do hope they will find another subject soon enough. I was hoping to introduce the class to American newspapers to help with their English.”

“Crosswords would help more,” shrugged the teen, closing her eyes. “They force people to think and it’s easier to remember the words.”

“Ooh? Are you talking from experience, Naoki-san?”

“I guess. My mentor was pretty adamant about me learning English as fast as possible, so we tried a lot of different methods.”

While they started chatting, none other than Nagisa and Sugino watched, somewhat surprised. They knew they’d find Korosensei behind the school thanks to Nagisa’s notes but hadn’t expected to find him with Naoki Ame, of all people. The girl had made a point of always being late or absent since the beginning of the school year, after all.

“Well, no matter,” finally murmured Sugino, before grinning. “That ten billion yen bounty is mine!”

Taking his stance, he let out a short breath, before throwing his baseball ball, which was covered with anti-sensei bullets. The ball soared through the air, aimed straight for the octopus’s head—

“Good morning!”

Both boys stiffened at the greeting, which came from behind them. Startled, they then realized that their teacher had more than easily escaped the assassination attempt. Back near the chair, Ame was now sitting and calmly watching the rest unfold.

“Remember, speak up when you greet someone!” exclaimed Korosensei.

“G- good morning, Korosensei,” finally answered Nagisa.

Sugino was simply too dumbstruck to say a word.

“Embedding those anti-me BBs into a ball? A fine idea,” then praised the teacher. “It won’t make the kind of noise an air gun would. However… I had all this time to kill waiting for the ball to arrive, and my cells would fall apart if I touched those BBs directly. So, I popped over to the equipment room to grab a glove.”

The two boys gaped as the yellow creature they called their sensei showed them one of his tentacles wearing a glove, which was holding the ball. Green stripes spread over his face as he chuckled.

“I do hope you can kill me—before graduation, that is.” At that moment, the bell rang, signaling class was about to begin. “Now then, time for homeroom!”

“Y- yes…”

As the teacher walked away, Sugino slumped in defeat.

“Dammit… Guess my ball won’t do the trick after all,” he sighed.

“Sugino…” Nagisa didn’t know what to say to cheer him up.

“Already giving up?”

They both jumped a little, snapping their eyes to Ame, who was now standing behind them. One of her eyebrows raised and with her bag slung over her shoulder, she didn’t look all that impressed.

“W- well…”

“You shouldn’t,” she cut him off bluntly. “It’s a good idea. If we want to kill that damn octopus, then we have to get creative. Don’t give up just yet.”

She patted Sugino on the shoulder before moving ahead, heading back to class to get the day started. The two teens stared at her retreating back, confused.

Sugino scratched the back of his head. “… Did she just talk to me?”

Nagisa frowned. “I think so?”

* * *

.

.

Ame ignored the looks she got from the students already in the class when she walked in and instantly took place in her seat. Rio was instantly on her.

“You’re on time!? What’s gotten into you? Are you sick? Is it the end of the world? What—“

“Rio, I love you, I really do, but shut up,” deadpanned the black-haired girl.

The blonde pouted a little. “So mean… But seriously, what’s up?”

“Nothing much. We came to… an agreement. You’ll probably see later,” shrugged the teen, leaning back in her seat.

Her friend huffed a little. She knew Ame was extremely secretive and she had learned to live with that little quirk of hers since they met two years earlier. However, it didn’t change the fact that it often pushed her buttons.

Then again, maybe that’s exactly why Ame did it. God knew she liked ruffling people’s feathers whenever she had the chance.

“Good morning class!” then greeted Korosensei, stepping in. All the students were now in their place. “We’ll start the roll call, as per usual! Student on duty, at your command!”

“Stand up!” exclaimed Sugaya.

Still wary, the orange-eyed girl put in her earplugs while the rest of the students rose to their feet, guns in hands. She focused her attention on the sky outside, clenching her fists.

“Attention! Bow!”

_This better fucking works—_

The teacher started calling out names. After a few seconds, Ame finally allowed herself to relax. She couldn’t hear the gunshots at all, yet could still hear his voice and her classmates’.

“Naoki-san?”

She raised her hand. “Here!”

The teacher nodded, seemingly hearing her over the noise she couldn’t hear. After another minute or so, everyone ran out of ammo and he called out the last name. The students sat down, not all that disappointed. They knew it wouldn’t be this easy, after all.

“Everyone is here then! How wonderful,” remarked their teacher, his grin widening, if possible. “Then let’s get started!”

They were starting with literature. Ame sighed, knowing she’d have to pass the next hour or so doing nothing. She obviously wasn’t about to listen, that stuff was boring, so what could she do?

 _Think of assassination plots?_ She remembered perfectly well what she had told Sugino earlier. _We’ll have to be creative… Well, I’ve got the time now, I guess._

* * *

.

.

“Pss. Ame? Ame!”

The teen glanced from her paper to Rio, who was leaning over to her.

“What?”

She held no doubt that their teacher could hear them whispering, but decided not to care. If it really bothered him, then he’d probably stop them.

“What’s gotten into Sugino? He seems pretty down,” remarked the blonde.

“Uh?”

Subtly, the black-haired girl glanced to a few seats back, where Sugino was. Just as her friend said, the boy looked pretty down in the dumps. He was staring at his trap-ball and flexing his wrist, not paying the lesson any attention.

“He failed his assassination attempt this morning,” she finally answered, reporting her attention on her current work. “He—“

A tentacle suddenly shot passed her at Mach 20. She froze, her heart instantly picking up the pace.

_Too fast!_

“Sugaya-kun!”

She instantly snapped her attention back to their teacher, who was now holding the notebook in which Sugaya had been drawing for the past few minutes. For a moment, everyone feared their teacher would get angry…

“So close!” Ame exhaled in relief at the light tone. “But my features are a bit finer than that.”

He then showed them the drawing he had redrawn, which was now… completely inaccurate.

“Finer how!?” protested Sugaya.

Class pursued after that little interruption. Ame returned to her work. She had marked down a few strategies, which she seriously doubted would be put to any use, before glancing back at Sugino. He seemed really, really sad that his attempt failed.

_Maybe…_

She started writing.

* * *

.

.

The bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunchtime.

“Well, I have some business to take care of today, so if you’ll excuse me…”

“Business?” echoed Isogai.

“Yes,” nodded Korosensei, opening the window. “I’m catching a game in New York.”

And he vanished, blasting wind in the classroom and making a cloud of dust rise from the dirty floor.

“There he goes,” sweatdropped Yoshida.

“What’s his deal?” grunted Terasaka.

“It’d be nice if he brought back some souvenirs for us, at least,” mused Kurahashi.

“Who wants souvenirs from their assassination target?” however pointed out Kataoka.

“Something to eat, maybe,” shrugged the orange-haired girl. “That way it wouldn’t stick around.”

“How oddly realistic of you,” chuckled the other girl.

“What could he bring back from New York?” wondered Isogai.

“Maybe booze?” suggested Maehara.

“We can’t drink!” protested Isogai, laughing.

Okajima swooned a little. “Or a blonde beauty… Woo!”

Unable to help it, Ame snorted.

Loudly.

“You know, I think that’s called kidnapping,” she pointed out.

Okajima’s blush only deepened, this time in slight embarrassment. However, the attention of the students was now on Ame.

“Ne, Ame-chan!” exclaimed Kayano, turning to her. “How come you’re in class?”

“… Because I’m a student?”

“She means: how come you’re in class this early?” translated Maehara, a hand on his hip. “You’re always either late or skipping.”

“Did Korosensei manage to change your mind when you talked yesterday?” mused Fuwa.

“We made a deal… Well, I didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter,” she admitted, her face darkening a little. “He said he’d have me kicked out of the assassination if I didn’t put efforts both in my studies and in the killing attempts.”

“Ouch,” snorted Rio, elbowing her. “Harsh. Think you’ll survive coming to class on time from now on?”

“I think I’ll manage,” snorted Ame, shoving her aside without much strength. “Plus, he never said anything about skipping, so there.”

“Ah, always the crafty one.”

“Well, you know me—“

“Oh, Karasuma-san!”

At Nagisa’s exclamation, all students averted their attention from the two girls to the agent who had entered their classroom.

“How’s it going?” he asked, straight to the point. “Any clues on how to kill him?”

At his question, the mood in the class suddenly became somber. After all, none had made any progress when it came to assassinating their target.

“Well,” sighed Hazama, crossing her arms behind her head. “We _are_ the E-Class.”

“It’s impossible, Karasuma-san,” then stated Isogai, frowning.

“He’s way too fast!” added Mimura, whining a little. “You can’t kill something that flies at Mach 20!”

“Indeed, no army is capable of that feat,” confirmed Karasuma. “But—“

“That’s because an army is the _less_ subtle thing you can throw his way.”

Ame hadn’t exactly been planning on telling the class about what had happened the day before. However, seeing them so defeated made her feel a little bad. Of course, them giving up on the assassination would make things easier for her. But… it wasn’t any fun. If everyone else simply resigned themselves to failure, then the assassination wouldn’t be as interesting anymore, even with the reward.

“If you take him by surprise, play with his expectations, then you can get him,” she added, realizing they were waiting for her to pursue on her train of thought. “I managed to cut off two of his tentacles yesterday.”

The whole class instantly _rioted_.

“What?”

“Seriously!?”

“How did this—“

“What’d you do?”

“—can’t believe it!”

“This is—“

“Amazing!”

“What exactly happened?” asked Karasuma, instantly bringing the class back to calm.

“Well…”

The teen quickly explained what she had been scheming since day one and how it had all turned out the day before. She left out the details of her deal with Korosensei, knowing they’d find out soon enough anyway, but told them everything else. Once she was done, silence fell upon the classroom.

“… It was quite the clever strategy,” finally said Karasuma, nodding. “And now, as you all know, it is possible. You simply need to find a way. Only you have this opportunity. For whatever reason, he insists on being your teacher. Left to his own devices, come next March, he’ll blow up the Earth. One look at that carved-up moon and you’ll know: come March, the entire human race will be beyond all help. He’s too dangerous to be left alive. This classroom is the only place he can be killed.”

“If he’s so dangerous, why’d you create him in the first place?” muttered Ame, growing disinterested.

“What’d you say, Ame?” Rio blinked, turning to her.

“Nothing.” She rose to her feet and stretched her arms. “I’m going to eat outside. You coming?”

“Sure! And you better tell me everything!” warned the blonde, grabbing her bag. “I want details, girl, details!”

“Yes, yes.”

* * *

.

.

The rest of the day was rather… uneventful. She received no phone call from the Zodiac, meaning there was no mission for her and thus, no reason to skip. She could have tried to make a run for it anyway, so as to test Korosensei, but she decided against it. After all, the surprise was still an element she had to use to her advantage if she wanted even a chance of winning.

It was the first time Ame stayed in school for a full day, from the beginning to the very end, and so it was no wonder that she was the first to leave when the final bell rang. It had barely stopped ringing that she was already running out of the classroom, eager to claim that freedom she had been bereft of.

Running down the mountain, it was only once she fully left the Kunugigaoka campus that she allowed herself to slow down. Staying put and do nothing wasn’t something she was particularly fond of, and she couldn’t wait for her game with Korosensei to get started. Things were bound to get fun starting then, after all.

Hopefully, she’d get a mission tomorrow.

* * *

.

.

“I’m back!”

“Welcome back!”

Her grandmother’s voice came from the kitchen. Smiling a little at the warm smell that greeted her, the teen soon joined her and found the woman making dinner.

“What are we eating tonight? It smells great!” she remarked.

“Donburi,” answered Obaa-san. “Of course, I’ve got help—“

“I’ve got the fish!”

A six-year-old girl with shoulder-length brown hair and pink eyes stormed into the kitchen, brandishing victoriously the fish she had been sent to retrieve from the small market down the street.

“Good job, Ash,” praised the older woman, chuckling. “And look who’s back early!”

The little girl tilted her head in mild confusion. Then, her eyes landed on Ame.

“Ame-nee!”

She launched herself into the teen’s arms. Ame easily caught her, way too used to this kind of greeting by now. She, however, stumbled a little under the weight.

“Well, you’re getting bigger, aren’t you?” she laughed, putting her down. “And you’ve been helping Obaa-san with dinner?”

“Yup! She’s showing me her secret recipe,” whispered loudly the kid.

“No way,” gasped the teen, faking disbelief. “Her _secret_ one?”

“Yeah!”

“Then you’ll have to teach me some time, right?”

“No way!” however refused the smaller girl. “It’s a secret recipe. _Secret_!”

“Oh, right. My bad,” laughed Ame, ruffling her hair. “Well, can’t wait to taste it anyway. Though, I’m sure it’ll be great. You’ve got the hands of an angel when it comes to cooking, Ash.”

The kid blushed at the praise, before quickly returning to her main job. Deciding to let them handle everything –she wasn’t the best when it came to cooking-, she headed back to her room to work some more on her strategies. The more ideas she wrote down, the better her chances at finding something that’ll actually work. So, not wasting any more time, she sat down at her desk and pulled out her notebook.

As she did so, though, a paper fell out.

_Oh, right. I did that._

She stared at the few drawings and sketches she had done earlier in the day when she had noticed Sugino’s defeated state. She hadn’t really thought about it, but maybe she could give him a hand? After all, his idea was a good one. She didn’t see why he couldn’t push it a little farther, or why he’d give up after the first try.

So, she grabbed a pencil and started drawing a more elaborate scheme.

* * *

.

.

The next morning, she was tempted to come late, just to tick her teacher off. However, now that she had blown her cover, it wouldn’t serve much of a purpose. In fact, going early gave her more opportunities now. Either she’d have the time to set up a trap, either she’d lull him into another sense of familiarity and use it to her advantage later on.

Satisfied with her decision, the orange-eyed teen quickly gathered her things before leaving the house, a bounce in her step. She had a feeling she’d get a mission today. It usually was the case when she didn’t get one after two or three days. So, looking forward to the beginning of her game of escape, she wasted no time making her way to school.

* * *

.

.

It was lunchtime when she finally got a call. Picking up, she almost let out a victorious whoop when she realized it was Hana.

“You have no idea how happy I am right now,” she grinned, even though she knew the woman couldn’t see it.

**“I’ve got a pretty good idea, actually. Inu spilled about everything. Think you can handle that game on your own?”**

“Of course I can!” scoffed the teen. “And it begins as soon as this call is over, so give me the info already!”

 **“So impatient,”** snorted her friend. **“But fine. Your target is ProTech. Or rather, their labs. Our client wants the secret formula the company has been developing for the past few months. You’re going in with me and Buru, Usagi’s gonna help too. Come to Headquarters as soon as you can so that we can get started. And… text me, if you can’t come after all.”**

“Don’t underestimate me,” retorted the teen, her grin turning a little feral. “See you there.”

**“See ya.”**

Flipping off her phone and slipping it in her pocket, she then quickly gathered her things before slinging the bag over her shoulder, ready to make a run for it. However, she then realized that Korosensei wasn’t actually in the class. Frowning a little, she glanced outside and found him talking with Sugino.

::

_“It is just as I said! If in class, you escape the classroom. If outside, you escape the campus itself. If you can manage that, then I’ll let you go.”_

::

His words from two days ago echoed for a few seconds. Then, she laughed a little, before lazily heading out, simply offering a wave as Rio fired questions her way. The blonde would get answers soon enough anyway.

She stepped out, taking a second to enjoy the warmth of the sun rays on her face, before heading for Korosensei and Sugino. Nagisa had joined them, too.

“I get it,” Sugino said as she approached, his head lowered. Resigned. “I just… don’t have his talent.”

“On the other hand, your elbows and wrists are more flexible than Arita’s,” then remarked Korosensei, using his tentacles to lift the boy’s wrist. “Train well and you could far surpass him. These fondling-for-comparison’s-sake tentacles are never wrong. There’s more than one kind of talent. You simply have to find an assassination that suits your talent.”

“That’s cute.”

Both boys and even the teacher jumped at the voice, the three of them turning around to find none other than Ame, an hand in her pocket and her bag over her shoulder.

“N- Naoki-san! Where are you going?” spluttered the octopus, taken by surprise.

“I’m leaving,” she informed casually.

“What? Have you already forgotten about our deal?”

“Me? Forgotten? Seems more like it’s the other way around, sensei,” she replied, a small smirk forming on her lips. “If in class, you escape the classroom is what you said, isn’t it? I was in class when I receive a call and, as you can see, I’m very much outside right now.”

“But- but—“

“A deal’s a deal, right, sensei?” She was now grinning fully, taunting him. “I escaped the classroom and so I’m free to go. Isn’t this what we agreed on?”

“… Niryufufufu!” Korosensei started laughing, rubbing his tentacles together. “Well played, Naoki-san! Though, two can play at this game.”

“I sure hope so!” she snorted. “Else it’d be boring.”

“Wh- what are you talking about…?” then wondered Nagisa, confused.

“Uh?” Right, they still don’t know. “Korosensei’s gonna explain everything. I’ve gotta go, now. Though, before I forget…” She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to a dumbstruck Sugino. “Here you go. You don’t have to do anything with this but if it can help… Well, whatever you choose, I guess. Anyway, I’ll see you guys tomorrow~!”

Almost skipping, the black-haired girl then started walking away. Even though she had expected a harder challenge, she also enjoyed mind games and the likes. So, winning the first round like this wasn’t all that bad. In fact, it showed Korosensei how seriously she took their little game, and she sure hoped he’d do the same in the second round.

Back with the others, Korosensei ended up heading back to class, assuring the boys he’d explain the situation once lunchtime was over. Once he was gone, Nagisa looked over at his classmate.

“What did she give you, Sugino-kun?”

“I don’t know…”

Still confused, the pitcher unfolded the paper the mysterious girl had just handed him, and his eyes widened slightly. There were a few drawings and even fewer notes, but everything was perfectly clear.

She had just given him a plan. A _good_ plan. One that might _work_.

“Funny,” mused Nagisa, reading over his shoulder. “I didn’t think Naoki-san was the type to help so freely…”

“Well, I don’t really know what’s going on in her head, but I think it’s worth a shot!”

His determination rising once more thanks to Korosensei’s encouragement and Ame’s idea, he was ready to try his luck one more time.

* * *

.

.

“I’m here!”

She threw her bag on the pristine couch and made her way to the table, where Usagi and Hana were already working on their infiltration.

“Yo!” greeted the man, not looking up from his computer. “We’ve already established the strategy, Hebi’s gonna explain everything while I—no, damn it, Saru! You gotta do it _that_ way—“

As he started ranting to whichever member had just contacted him, Hana rolled her eyes and grabbed a file, before gesturing for the younger girl to follow her.

Hana, or Hebi, was Ame’s first mentor and friend in the Zodiac. She had been the one who mentored her and showed her how everything worked in the group. She taught her the tricks, the dynamics… and she looked out for her. Frankly, she was like the mother Ame had never known.

Anyway, knowing the drill by now, Ame simply did as told and both went into the debriefing room. She took a seat as Hana turned on the screen on the wall. Instantly, a picture of a building appeared.

“ProTech?” easily guessed the teen, leaning back in her seat.

“Yup,” confirmed the woman, handing her the file. “That’s also where Buru’s been undercover for the past few weeks. He’s been monitoring their progress for our client.”

“I see. He’s gonna help us in?”

“Aa. Your mission is quite simple, really,” she assured. The picture changed to that of a small vial containing a black, sticky liquid. “That’s the result of the formula the scientists of ProTech have been working on. You’re to find it, steal it, and bring it back to me.”

Ame clicked her tongue. “What’s the catch? Any other member could have handled a steal as simple as that.”

“You’re right. You were specifically required because you’re the only one who’ll be able to make it into the room where it’s held,” explained Hana. The picture changed again, this time to one of a safe. “The only way in without activating the alarms is the small vent conduct you’ll find on the fourteenth floor. Otherwise said, you’ll have to start from the bottom, head to the fourteenth floor, find the right vent, and then go in. Usagi’s gonna assist you with the different protections that have been set up.”

“I see. What about you and Buru?”

“We’ll handle the distraction,” she shrugged. “Take some info, if we have the time. There are too many patrols and it’ll be hard to evade them all, even for you. And of course, we’re the back up in case things go wrong.”

The teen simply nodded and started looking through the few papers contained in the file Hana had given her. There was some basic information about the formula and how to handle it, some pictures of people to avoid or use, and also a more thorough explanation of the obstacles that would be standing in her way.

“You’ve got twenty minutes to get ready,” concluded Hana. “Meet me outside then.”

“Roger!”

The red-haired woman then left. Ame reported her attention on the file, biting her lower lip. It wasn’t the first time she worked on such operations, but breaking into such highly protected buildings always put her on edge. There was always a chance that they’d get caught, of course, be it by the police or the cameras. However, what always truly worried her was the aftermath of their mission.

The Zodiac had a politic to respect: they worked _for_ everyone and _against_ everyone. Whoever paid the most got what they wanted, until someone else came along and paid even more. The Zodiac was loyal to no one but to themselves.

Ame wasn’t stupid. She knew the Zodiac wasn’t some chivalrous organization that worked in the shadows to make a better place. Sure, if the opportunity arose and the pay was nice, then they’d make a good deed like stop an internal war or protect an important political figure. However, they weren’t above starting wars either, or even killing important political figures.

Whatever paid the most.

_What’s gonna happen once the formula is in the client’s hands? What’s the formula for? Who’s the client? Why do they want it?_

Growing annoyed, the teen harshly shook her head. Asking questions was a big no-no in their field of work. Because sometimes… well, most of the time, deep down… she knew she didn’t really want to know after all.

And, well, maybe it was selfish, but she considered that her life and the lives of those she loved came before everything else. She’d do anything for them, even turn the whole damn world against her if she had to. And nothing, _nothing_ , would ever change that. So, focusing back on the task at hand, she started reading.

* * *

.

.

**“Everyone connected?”**

**“Buru, in position.”**

**“Hebi, in position.”**

“Kitsune, in position.”

Kitsune was calm. Once they reached their target, her usual nervousness completely vanished and left place to a collected, settled mind. She knew what she was doing and she knew how to do it well.

**“Okay. Starting the operation in three… two… one… Go!”**

Following Usagi’s signal, the fire alarm was suddenly activated. Instantly, most of the employees working late started evacuating and running as far away as they could. They knew better than to stay anywhere near a building which contained numerous labs where dangerous experiments were made.

**“Kitsune, the path’s cleared. Go in, take a right, and go up the emergency staircase.”**

“Copy that.”

Lifting her mask up to cover her mouth and nose, she then ran inside. She didn’t make a noise as she obeyed Usagi’s instructions and turned right, almost instantly reaching the staircase. She started running up the stairs. As she reached the third floor, though, the door on the fourth one flew open, and a few employees started coming down. Keeping her cool, she climbed on the railing and grabbed the stairs above her head, before lifting herself up. She held on as the five of them quickly walked down, none noticing the teen hanging above their heads.

Once they were gone, she kept on going up. Counting the floors and moving as fast as she could, she was a little out of breath when she finally reached the fourteenth floor. She checked the door to make sure no one was coming and narrowed her eyes as they landed on a camera hidden in a farther corner.

“I’m in position,” she warned. “Usagi, take care of the cameras.”

**“Already on it. Just a few more seconds—There! I’m in their security network. You can go in without worrying about the cameras.”**

“Roger.”

Not wasting any more time, she stepped into the hallway. The girl ignored it as the cameras followed her, aware there was someone thanks to their movement detectors, but she knew they were unable to see her thanks to Usagi.

**“Third door to your left leads to an office. The air vent is in the corner, behind the desk.”**

Still following his instructions, the teen quickly found the room and knocked. No one answered. She went in, effectively finding the office empty. Easily finding the air vent, she then bit back a groan.

_It’s so small!_

**“Kitsune?”**

“I hate you guys so much, right now,” she grunted, forcing open the air vent.

 **“She found the air vent?”** chuckled Buru.

 **“She found the air vent,”** confirmed Usagi.

 **“Told ya she’d hate it,”** mused Hebi.

“ _She_ is listening,” huffed Kitsune. She stretched her arms a little, before positioning herself. “Okay, ready to go. I just let myself slide down?”

**“Yup! Whenever you’re ready! Though be—“**

“Then here goes!”

Without any more hesitation, she slipped into the air vent, and let herself slide down. Well, it felt more like she was falling, really, but she could still hold on to the walls if she wanted to slow herself down—

**“STOP!”**

Startled, she reacted out of reflex and stopped her mad descent. Her special gloves instantly glued themselves to the walls, and she bit back a pained groan at the sudden strain it put on her arms and shoulders.

“What the _hell_ , Usagi?”

**“If you had listened to me, you would’ve known that there was a field of laser rays just one point two meters under you.”**

“Why wasn’t this in the file!?” protested the teen.

 **“We didn’t know until I managed to break into their security system.”** Knowing him, she could tell he was shrugging. **“Just give me a moment to get rid of them.”**

Gritting her teeth, she decided not to make another comment. Getting worked up in the middle of a mission wasn’t worth anything and, in the end, she didn’t really have a reason to be angry. It’s not like Usagi could predict the future either, so she couldn’t blame him for not knowing.

**“They’re out! Now keep going down and stop once you reach the sixth floor.”**

“How the _hell_ am I supposed to know which floor is the sixth floor?” she retorted. “They don’t put up signs in the air vents!”

**“… Nevermind, I’ll tell you when to stop.”**

Rolling her eyes, the teen started sliding down again, though this time restraining her speed using her electromagnetic gloves.

**“Okay, it’s the next exit to your right!”**

“Got it!”

Sliding down some more, she finally stopped before said exit. It was more like another passage through which she’d have to crawl rather than fall, though. Knowing that complaining wouldn’t do much good, she got in position and started advancing. Despite all, she was used to this kind of stuff, and thus was still moving at a rather fast pace.

 _Now I know why the other members couldn’t come,_ she mused internally. _No way any of them could fit in here._

**“The lab’s right under you. Keep moving forward and stop at the next air vent you’ll come across.”**

“Right.”

More careful not to make a noise, the teen finally reached her objective. She peeked through the air vent but found no one.

“I’m moving in.”

**“Got it. Buru, Hebi, get to phase two.”**

**“Okay!”**

**“Copy that.”**

Phase two consisted of Buru and Hebi handling the scientists in the lab.

**“Kitsune, you’re good to go.”**

“Got it.”

Opening the air vent, she easily slipped through, and landed on her feet three meters below, not making a sound as her feet touched the floor. Straightening up, she then found herself facing a safe. To the right was a machine for a digital code. She opened it, revealing numerous wires, and plugged a key.

“Usagi, it’s your turn,” she announced.

**“Okay~!”**

After a few seconds, the numbers 5-6-2-9 appeared, and the safe started opening. However, it stopped halfway. Having expected it, though, Kitsune went to the machine to the left of the safe’s door, which consisted of a retinal reader. She grabbed a small container attached to her belt and pulled out contact lenses, before putting one of them in her right eye.

“Guys, do you have the eye signature?” she asked, blinking a few times to get adjusted.

**“Yup. Usagi, charge it in.”**

**“On it!”**

After three seconds, numbers started appearing before her eye. Then, the lenses she had just put in adapted to the eye signature just sent by Hebi. She had probably copied it from one of the scientists she had knocked out back in the lab. Leaning down to face the retinal reader, she didn’t even blink as a bright light flashed into her eye. The machine analyzed the eye for a moment, before accepting the eye signature and allowing the safe to open fully.

She started advancing but stopped just before she could step inside. There, on the floor, where numerous lasers. They weren’t lethal, that much was obvious, but what happened if she stepped on one of them probably would be.

“Usagi, can you handle the lasers again?”

**“What lasers?”**

“… the ones inside the safe room?”

**“There are lasers? Fuck, they don’t appear in the security system! They probably set them up using a second one!”**

“Can you get in?” she frowned. Was the mission jeopardized?

**“It’ll take time—“**

**“Time we don’t have,”** warned Hebi. **“The evacuation was just canceled, employees will come back in soon and security is on the way. We need to act now.”**

**“I need more time! I’ve had the whole afternoon to work on hacking into the first one, damn it!”**

**“If we can’t accomplish the mission safely, then we must fall back,”** pointed out Buru, keeping his cool. **“There is no need to endanger ourselves. You know the rule—“**

“Our lives come before the missions,” completed Kitsune, knowing that particular rule by heart like all the other members of the Zodiac. “But I think I can handle it.”

 **“You think or you know?”** asked Hebi, her tone harsher. **“No stupid moves, Kitsune. If you can’t do it—“**

“I can!” she assured, quickly assessing the field. “I just have to make it to the doors on the other side while evading the lasers, right? I can do this. I _know_ I can.”

There was a moment of silence during which the three other members thought it over. It was a risky move, but they knew Kitsune: the girl was always too quick to take on challenges, but she never fought a lost fight. If she believed she could handle it, then they’d have to trust her.

 _“Fine. Do it,”_ finally agreed Hebi. **“But fall back if it gets too dangerous. It’s an order.”**

“Copy that. Prepare an escape route for me, okay?”

 **“We’ll be waiting,”** simply replied Buru.

Nodding, the orange-eyed teen then reported her attention on the lasers. She’d have to be fast and calculate her moves if she wanted to make it, but she knew she could. She had trained a few times before in case she ever found herself facing such a situation. She never tried it with real lasers before, but who cared? She’d never know if she didn’t try, right?

Taking a sharp intake of breath, Kitsune jumped. She landed on her feet and stepped over a laser before bending backward to pass under another while lifting her feet to avoid touching one and finally passing over another before landing on her feet once more. She jumped over two and landed on a single hand, before pushing forward and landing on her other hand while getting over another laser. As she started falling, she propelled herself as high as she could and activated her electromagnetic gloves to their maximum capacity. She wasn’t that close to the ceiling, but close enough to create a small pull that kept her in suspension for half a second. Using that opportunity, she kicked the wall near her and flew over what was left of the lasers, managing to land safely near the door.

A proud grin stretched her lips. “Nailed it!”

There were three distinct sighs of relief in the com device, making her roll her eyes.

_Overprotective bunch…_

**“You can open the door, it’s safe,”** informed Usagi.

“Thanks!”

Stepping inside the last room, she found herself surrounded by numerous vials and other experiments. Knowing what she was looking for, finding the formula was a piece of cake. Handling it carefully, she slipped the vial into the special case she had been given that was hanging to her belt.

“Target secured,” she announced. “Heading out now.”

 **“I couldn’t take care of the lasers but I can cut off their link to the main system for about four seconds,”** assured Usagi. **“You’ll need to be quick.”**

“Aren’t I always?” she snorted, stepping outside. “Ready when you are.”

**“Then… Now!”**

Without hesitation, Kitsune dashed forward. She ignored all the lasers she passed through as she reached the other side and finally stepped out of the safe.

 **“Security’s here. We’re leaving now,”** suddenly announced Hebi.

“Leaving of _leaving_?” asked the black-haired girl.

 **“ _Leaving_. Step away from the wall,”** warned Buru.

She obeyed. A moment later, there was a small explosion, and the wall crumbled to pieces. Stepping through the cloud of dust, she almost ran into Buru. Then again, the tall man had a large built and was kind of hard to miss.

“Buru!” she beamed, giving him a quick hug. “Long time no see!”

“It’s good to see you too, Kitsune,” he replied, patting her head.

“Not to break the sweet moment or anything, but we’re kind of in a hurry!” called Hebi, already running out of the lab.

Forgetting all about subtlety, the three members of the Zodiac quickly left, taking the emergency staircase. They stopped once they reached the second floor and opened the nearest window, before jumping out. Using their grapnels, they safely made it back to the ground. Then, they vanished into the night, leaving behind an open safe, some knocked-out scientists, utter panic and a small, black card with the white design of an ox, with one word written under it:

_ZODIAC_

* * *

.

.

Once they finally got back to Headquarters, Ame was exhausted. They had run the whole way back sticking to the shadows and making numerous detours to make sure no one was following them, and it was now a little past twelve.

_And I’ve got school tomorrow…_

She let herself fall on the couch while Hana went to put away the formula they had just stolen. She’d go and give it to their client the next day.

“Tired?” mused Samon, leaning on the couch.

Samon was Buru’s real name. He always looked a little dangerous, what with his bald head and his black eyes, but he really was just like a big teddy bear. He didn’t like the idea of Ame joining the Zodiac but knew she wouldn’t change her mind, and so simply looked out for her however he could when the opportunity arose.

“You have no idea,” groaned the teen, passing a hand over her eyes. “Mind if I pass the night here?”

“’Course not. Though, you should probably warn your grandmother. She’ll worry otherwise,” he pointed out.

“Oh, right…”

She quickly texted the old woman, before lying down and closing her eyes. Considering how tired she was, she probably wouldn’t show up to school after all.

_Whatever. Skipping one day won’t be anything new._

* * *

.

.

Ame was roughly shaken awake. Cursing loudly, she glared at Hana, who simply smirked down at her.

“Give me _one_ good reason I shouldn’t throttle you,” growled the teen.

“Because I was kind enough to wake you up in time for school?” mused the woman.

“That’s exactly the _opposite_ of a good reason. Can’t you just let me sleep?”

“Nope!” Hana replied cheerfully. “Now, up you go! Oh, and I brought you back your uniform too. You’re welcome~!”

Yeah.

Sometimes, Ame really hated those guys.

* * *

.

.

When Korosensei made the roll call, Naoki wasn’t there. He had sighed internally but decided to let it go this time around. After all, old habits died hard. Of course, he couldn’t allow her to continue said habits but he couldn’t ask for such a drastic change either. They’d have to get rid of the problem little by little.

“Ne, Korosensei!” suddenly exclaimed Sugino. It was now lunchtime, and the boy had been training his pitch for a while now. “Can you come outside so that I can kill you for a sec?”

“Niryufufufu!” The octopus accepted and quickly joined him outside. “Have you not learned your lesson yet?”

But he took his position in the middle of the field while Sugino warmed up, Nagisa sitting in the stairs and watching everything with curiosity. A few more students were now standing by the windows, wondering what was about to happen.

“Then, here it comes!”

Sugino, using his newly found stance, threw his ball. It flew fast, faster than it ever did when he tried copying Arita’s style, and it was aimed straight for Korosensei. Still laughing to himself, the octopus barely moved as he easily managed to catch it with a tissue he was keeping on him at all times.

“Well done, Sugino-kun!” he praised. “It is a style that fits you much better!”

“Yeah, thought so too,” simply grinned the boy.

And then, without warning, the ball Korosensei was holding exploded. BBs flew all around as a cloud of dust rose, blinding everyone’s sight.

There was a moment of silence.

“Did you… did you get him?” gaped Nagisa, barely able to believe it.

“I- I think—“

“What a surprising assassination that was!”

Both boys startled at the voice and found Korosensei, safe and sound, now standing between them. His face turned orange.

“Truly well done! The only reason I managed to escape was that I realized it was heavier than a normal ball.”

“Well, it’s the closest I’ve got, so I guess I can’t beat myself over it,” chuckled the boy, rubbing the back of his head. “Though, frankly, it was Naoki-san’s idea…”

“But it was your attempt, one that suited your talent. Keep up the good work!”

“I- I will!”

* * *

.

.

As it turned out, Hana did _not_ wake her in time for class. By the time she reached the school, the day was halfway done, a little past lunchtime. Grumbling under her breath about demonic redheads, she failed to notice the few students from higher classes who were lingering around.

 _They_ had spotted _her_ , though.

“Hey, Naoki!” called one of the girls Ame didn’t care to remember the name of. “Is the E-Class really as bad as they say?”

“Must be, with her in it!” laughed another. “Her and all the losers really are a perfect match, uh?”

“She’s such a failure!” added the third one.

“And you three are a pain in the ass, yet do you see me saying anything?” grunted the black-haired girl.

She didn’t bother to stop as the three girls gaped at her. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with wannabe bullies. However, just as she reached the fence separating the E-Class’s mountain from the main campus, the three girls stepped in her way.

“What was that, you slut?”

“You can’t talk to us like that! You’re in the End Class, the lowest of the low!”

“Scum like you shouldn’t even look at us!”

“Don’t stand in my way and maybe I won’t?” she deadpanned. “Seriously, get lost.”

“You little bi—“

“Is there a problem here?”

At the new voice, the four girls turned around. The three wannabe bullies gaped like utter idiots at the sight of the handsome man in the suit, but Ame simply sighed. Why was Karasuma here? He was around an awful lot. She knew he was just trying to help, but he couldn’t just show up at random whenever he felt like it and ask for progress either.

“Naoki-san, let’s go,” he then said, gesturing for her to move ahead.

“Sure.”

And despite the childishness of the feeling, Ame couldn’t help but feel a little smug as she walked away with the man, leaving the three imbeciles utterly speechless.

_That’ll teach those idiots._

“Does it happen often?”

The teen glanced at Karasuma, who was now walking beside her. She easily understood he was talking about the bullying.

“Karasuma-san, we’re the E-Class,” she snorted, a little bitterly. If there was one thing she hated, it was this school’s system. “The ‘lowest of the low’ as that girl put it. They’ve been taught into thinking they were better than us and thus act on it, only reinforcing the effects of that damn brainwash. So yeah, it happens often. All the time, actually.”

“… I see.”

They kept silent for a while.

“Why are you late?” he finally asked, apparently curious.

“Why do you care?” she replied without missing a beat, raising an eyebrow. “No offense or anything, but you’re not our babysitter. Having that damn octopus acting like a good sensei is already bad enough, you know?”

“I did not mean to pry,” he apologized. “I was merely curious. So far, you are the only student who has made significant progress in the assassination, yet…”

He couldn’t find the right words, though.

“Yet I don’t look like I’m taking this seriously?” she completed, stifling a yawn. “I am. I simply have other priorities too. Plus, we’ve got the whole year, right? Rushing in won’t do us any good. He’s the one who has the speed advantage after all.” She glanced his way. “Can I ask an indiscreet question?”

“I cannot guarantee an answer.”

“I’ll take what I can get,” she shrugged. “But… I was just wondering: do you know _where_ exactly Korosensei comes from?”

“I’m… afraid not. We know very little about this creature.”

At that, Ame snorted. She couldn’t help it, really. Very little? Korosensei had been created by their government in the first place. However, it would seem they didn’t see it fit to inform their agents on the field.

_Misinformation always blurs the mission._

That was one of the numerous lessons she had been taught by the Zodiac. Of course, she wasn’t about to share whatever she knew either. She’d rather have as many cards in hand as she could manage right now.

“Naoki.” The teen stopped in her tracks, somewhat surprised by the lack of honorific, and turned to face him. “Do _you_ know?”

She stared at him for a few seconds, a heavy silence taking place.

Then, her face broke into a smile.

A very, very _fake_ smile.

“Why, Karasuma-san. I’m just a student. If _you_ don’t know anything, then how could _I_?”

Not leaving him the time to answer, she spun on her heels and started walking again. She didn’t really care if he was suspicious, there was no way he’d ever find out about her anyway. However, she knew it would lead him to ask questions and, if he managed to get answers, then it was easy info for her to pick up afterward.

He ended up following in her steps, none of them adding anything. He was deep in thoughts and she had nothing to say. When they reached the small cabin they called their classroom, though, they almost ran into Kayano.

“Oh! Hello, Naoki-chan! Hello, Karasuma-san!”

“Hey,” simply greeted the girl. She tilted her head in mild confusion. “Why are you carrying bamboo sticks?”

“Actually, it’s for Korosensei,” she shrugged, bouncing in place. “He ruined the class’s flowerbed so, to make up for it, he’s holding an assassination tournament, but with a handicap.”

“… what?”

Assassination meant guns. Ame wasted no time in putting in her earplugs. After what, she followed Kayano behind the small building, curious despite all. Karasuma went with them, though she still had no idea what exactly he was doing here in the first place.

They were greeted by the sight of Korosensei hanging to a branch with his tentacles tied up, using his Mach 20 speed to spin around and avoid the numerous attacks the students were trying out.

“A little something extra by way of apology!” he exclaimed. Green stripes were covering his face. “Where else could you find another teacher who can move like this?”

Ame wanted to facepalm. He obviously wasn’t taking any of them seriously, still looking down on them despite his precarious position. She then narrowed her eyes.

_He’s moving too fast. If he keeps this up, the branch holding him is gonna break._

Quickly acting on it, she whispered her idea to Nagisa and Kayano. Their eyes widened, before they nodded in agreement and quickly went to inform the rest of the students. Soon enough, the word got around, and the students started emptying their guns and throwing their anti-sensei BBs on the ground, right under him, while others kept on shooting to keep him occupied.

While they did so, Ame wasted no time in climbing into the tree. It wasn’t an easy task, considering how badly it was shaking, but she finally managed to reach the branch. Grinning a little, she started dropping her own BBs on him.

“What—Naoki-san!?” He started moving even faster to avoid the attack that was coming from above. “Don’t—“

There was a loud crack. Ame instantly jumped down and made a barrel before safely landing on her feet, while Korosensei fell. She grinned a little when noticing the hard time he was now having, considering he had to avoid all the BBs covering the ground while having his tentacles tied up. The students instantly jumped on the opportunity, firing their guns and throwing their knives once more.

“W- wait a second! My tentacles are all tangled up—stop it! You little—no! Wait, I can’t—gah!”

He literally rolled away, heading for the building. He finally escaped his bindings and, once fully freed, jumped high enough to avoid the last of the attacks before landing on the roof. He turned to face them.

“You’ll never make it all the way up there—you lack the base capability!” he chortled. “Dummies! Dummies—“

A knife flew past his face. His eyes widened slightly and, before any of the students could blink, he was back on the ground with them.

Standing on the edge of the roof, Ame scowled a little.

“Damn it,” she muttered, twirling a knife between her fingers.

“Wha—when did you get up there?” gasped Kimura.

“While you were all busy trying to get him while he rolled away,” she shrugged, putting the knife back to her belt. She then started climbing down with obvious ease. “Though I guess even as worked up as he was, he couldn’t be taken by surprise so easily.”

Her feet back on the firm ground, she then casually walked back to them. Picking up the bag she had dropped earlier, she then turned to Korosensei.

“Sorry for showing up late, I guess. I slept in this morning.”

The rest of the students sweatdropped. How could she be so unpredictable when it came to assassination yet be so lazy?

“I’m doubling tonight’s homework,” announced darkly their teacher.

“So petty!” protested the rest of the class.

With a somewhat evil laugh, the octopus then vanished using his Mach 20 speed. The students groaned, having been defeated once more.

“And he’s gone…”

“But this is the closest we’ve ever gotten!” pointed out Kataoka.

“Keep this up and we’ll definitely get our chance to kill him!” agreed Isogai.

Their classmates relaxed at that and started cheering.

“Yatta!”

“And then we get ten billion yen!”

“What shall I spend it on?”

Ame wasn’t really comfortable with the idea of celebrating just yet. Yeah, they made some progress, but it wasn’t anywhere near useful. They still couldn’t get him, and she doubted it’d happen anytime soon. However, she balanced the thought with the feeling that it was better to see them happy then defeated.

Deciding not to break their newly found spirit, Ame simply kept silent.

“Oh, Naoki-san!”

She turned to Sugino, who offered her a smile.

“Thank you for your help! It didn’t work, but I’ll keep working on it!” he smiled.

“… You do that.”

 _The atmosphere is lighter,_ she couldn’t help but remark, her eyes rising to the blue sky above them. _Everyone seems happier. We might be the lowest of the low, misfits, losers… but we’re not hopeless yet._

_That has to count for something, I guess._


	4. Fourth Period: New Friend Time!

“One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six! Seven! Eight!”

It was morning. Ame was on time, for once, but she wasn’t actually bitter about it this time around. In fact, she had been pretty excited to start the day. They had physical education, which had been transformed into a training class. They were now in ranks, training to wield a knife. She already knew how to do that, Saru had trained her relentlessly ever since she joined, but it was still fun. Not only could she get training done in class, of all places, but she’d probably learn some new moves too!

“Wield your knives properly from all eight directions now!” exclaimed Karasuma.

Ame hadn’t known at the time but, when they crossed path two days prior, it was because he had just taken the position of teacher, to keep a better watch on their progress and help them however he could.

“You’re so mean, Karasuma-san!” suddenly cried Korosensei, going to play in the sandbox farther away. “Why, my students happen to like my gym classes!”

Said students finally stopped their movements, taking a short break.

“Liar,” sighed Sugaya. “Korosensei’s physical abilities are just too different.”

“Remember that one time?” added Sugino, rubbing the back of his head.

At the reminder, Ame cringed a little. True, Korosensei could be… a little too intense, when it came to gym class. And that came from someone who liked physical education in the first place.

“He’s just too far out of our league,” mused Rio.

“I’d like a human, normal teacher for gym, thanks,” added Mimura.

Korosensei stiffened, slumping even more and maybe even sulking a little.

_So he’s sensitive about his teaching skills, uh?_

“Okay, let’s get back to work!” exclaimed Karasuma, drawing their attention back to him.

“But Karasuma-san, is there any point to all this training?” then wondered Maehara, waving the rubber knife. “And should we really be doing it right in front of our target?”

“It’s the same in assassination as in studying,” replied the agent, hands on his hips. “Drill the basics and they’ll serve you well. Isogai-kun, Maehara-kun, step forward.”

The two boys exchanged a curious glance, but did as told and faced their teacher.

“Now, try hitting me with those knives,” he ordered flatly.

“A- are you sure?” blinked Isogai, worried.

“As a team?” added Maehara, unsure.

That made Ame snort as she stretched her arms a little. “As if you guys could hit him anyway. Plus, those knives can’t hurt us humans, remember?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” protested the flirt, his ego hurt a little. “Two against one? We’re winning this!”

“Naoki-san is right,” confirmed Karasuma, loosening his tie. “If those knives give me so much as a scratch, you can go home for the day.”

“Well… okay, then.”

The two boys exchanged another glance, before Isogai jumped forward, brandishing his knife. Karasuma merely stepped aside, easily avoiding him.

“Come on,” he taunted a little.

Gritting his teeth, Maehara tried to attack, but his opponent grabbed the wrist of the hand holding his knife and pushed him in the back, just as easily escaping his attack. He moved to the right to escape Isogai, then Maehara, and they kept at it for a few more seconds during which neither of the students came even close to taking him by surprise.

“As you can see, with little knowledge, even I can handle the knives of two amateurs,” he remarked.

That irked the boys. They attacked as one, intent on giving him a piece of their mind at being called amateurs… but he grabbed the arms and mercilessly threw them on the ground, without even breaking a sweat.

“If you can’t hit me, your chance of hitting him at Mach 20 is slim to none,” concluded Karasuma. “See? While we were sparring, he built Osaka Castle in the sandbox, changed clothes, and has started brewing up some tea!”

He was obviously annoyed by this, and Ame could only understand his position. That creature was going to destroy the Earth and they were supposed to kill it before it happened, but he was clearly out of their league right now.

He helped the two boys back to their feet.

“Once the whole class is capable of hitting me, your chance of success will increase by leaps and bounds,” he assured, readjusting his tie. “During gym class, I’ll be teaching you stabbing, shooting—all the assassination basics. That’s all for today!”

The whole class bowed. “Thank you for your guidance!”

He simply nodded and left them. As the girls started chatting excitedly, Ame couldn’t help but wonder if he’d accept her challenge at the next class. She had grown too used to sparring with the other members of the Zodiac, and she wanted a new opponent to test her abilities.

“Hey, Naoki!” then called Maehara, coming to her. “How’d you know we wouldn’t be able to hit him?”

“He had experience and you didn’t,” she shrugged, cracking her neck. “Plus, you weren’t even holding your knife correctly.”

“What?”

Her lips twitching a little in faint amusement, she gestured for him to show her his hold. More curious than offended by now, he did as told. Nodding, she then showed him her own hold, comparing the two.

“You’re holding it too far from the blade,” she pointed out. “If I do this—“

Without warning, she harshly brought her knife down on his, and easily knocked it out of his grasp. He gaped, startled.

“It’s not balanced, so it’s easy to disarm you,” she pointed out, picking it up and handing it back.

“You took me by surprise. I’ll hold it tighter in a fight—“

“Then not only will you lose focus, but you’ll also lose strength and last less long in a fight,” she cut him off. “You’ll be focusing on holding it tighter, maybe even unconsciously, and the strength you’ll use for your blows will be far bigger than if you simply handled it correctly.”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” he chuckled, properly humbled by her lesson. “So what, I do it like this?”

She placed his fingers with practiced ease, before comparing their holds. This time, they were much more similar, and she nodded in confirmation.

“Exactly. Try hitting me.”

“What?”

She rolled her eyes. “Dude, just try it.”

Understanding she was serious, he hesitated for one more second, before bringing down his knife on her. Her arm snapped up instantly, her own rubber weapon blocking his with practiced ease.

“See?” she grinned as he stepped back. “Had you been holding it the way you were a minute ago, your knife would have been knocked out of your hand and you would have found yourself weaponless.”

“Yeah, I saw the difference,” he confirmed, weighing his knife with newfound interest. He grinned at her. “Thanks a bunch, Naoki!”

“Just call me Ame,” she shrugged, not really caring. “And sure thing. I’m up for a spar any time if you’re interested.”

“You know how to fight?” he blinked, surprised.

“Prior training. Been a while since I had another decent opponent, though.”

She had beaten Hana and a few others before, but still couldn’t get the upper hand on Saru or Ryu in spars. Frankly, she had given up hope on ever beating them. So, she really was itching for a new challenge.

“Eh? So that’s the infamous Korosensei? Whoa, he really does look like an octopus.”

At the exclamation, she reported her attention to the source. It was a red-haired boy she had seen around the main campus a few times before, but it was the first time she saw him in the E-Class’s territory.

_A new student, then. What is he planning?_

The newcomer stopped just before their teacher, a small smile on his lips.

“Akabane Karma, is it?” recalled Korosensei. “I’d heard your suspension was up today. But! You shouldn’t be tardy on your first day back!”

His face turned purple, and the new student let out a nervous laugh.

“It’s hard to get back into the swing of things,” he apologized. “But feel free to call me by my first name. Nice to meet you, sensei!”

He extended his hand to him.

“Likewise,” nodded Korosensei. “Let’s make this a fun year.”

He grabbed his hand to shake it… and his tentacle exploded. Karma instantly dropped his juice box and swung his hand at him, a knife hidden in his sleeve. Korosensei instantly moved away, putting distance between the two of them.

_That was fast…!_

The rest of the students could only stare, startled. No one had expected the new student to be the first—well, second, to manage to hurt Korosensei. He had been there for what, three minutes? And he already made more progress than the rest of them had in weeks.

“Wow. You really are fast,” mused Karma. “And those knives really do work, eh? I sliced one up really fine and stuck the pieces on. To be caught by such a simple move, though… and to jump back all the way there… What are you, a scaredy-cat?”

He started advancing slowly, like a predator stalking his prey. Ame could almost feel the shock of her classmates and herself… herself was a little irritated. This guy just showed up out of nowhere and tried to claim the kill?

_I’m not letting him win this!_

“I heard they call you ‘Korosensei’ because you’re un-killable.” He stopped just before the octopus, who flinched back. “But what’s this? Are you a pushover after all?”

Korosensei was obviously angry now. Ame was too, a little. Before she could think of something to do about it, though, her phone started ringing. She instantly picked up, hoping her teacher was too caught up in his own emotions to notice.

“Yeah?”

**“Up for some patrolling? We’ve got rumors about another gang running around for a few days now. It’s in your area, so…”**

“Right on it.”

Hanging up, the orange-eyed student then realized she didn’t have the time to go back in class and grab her things. She was outside, meaning she had to escape the campus. So, careful not to draw any attention, she slowly backed away from the group, until she reached the edge of the forest. As soon as she stepped under the trees, she started running. Not a twig cracked as she passed, she was too used to the forest’s floor to make a noise,

_I’m free!_

But then a yellow tentacle wrapped itself around her ankle and she suddenly found herself hanging upside-down. Blinking a few times, she then glared at Korosensei.

“I escaped the campus! I’m free to go, remember?”

“Now, now, Naoki-san,” he chuckled, a little darkly. “I never said the campus of the E-Class, did I?”

She gaped at him, truly taken aback. “What? No way! How am I supposed to escape from the school campus itself when you have Mach 20 speed!?” she protested. “Not fair!”

“Niryufufufu! All’s fair in our little game, Naoki-san. Now, I believe I have won this round. Please head back to class and prepare yourself for the test.”

He released her and she easily fell back on her feet. Scowling a little but graciously accepting her loss, she started heading back to class. On the way, she texted Hana to inform her of the situation, which merely earned her a mocking emoji.

Obviously, her situation amused the woman greatly.

_Whatever. I’ll go on patrol tonight._

* * *

.

.

“So, didn’t make it?”

“Not a word, Rio. Not a word.”

The blonde chuckled but said no more. The girl was still a little bitter at being caught at her own strategy, though found herself enjoying it too. The game proved to be rather entertaining, after all.

They soon received the quiz. Ame quickly read over it. It was maths and, saved for two problems she remembered having learned from Yukimura, she couldn’t understand anything. So, for appearance’s sake, she completed the two she actually knew, before putting down her pencil and leaning back into her seat.

A minute or so later, Korosensei started punching the wall.

_Wait. Is he still mad about that Karma dude?_

He couldn’t do any damage considering his tentacles were too soft, but the noise that accompanied his punches was quickly growing on her nerves. The students started whispering to each other and, the next thing Ame knew, Terasaka started yelling.

“You there!” snapped Korosensei, a vein popping on his forehead. “No loud noises during a test!”

_You’re one to talk!_

“Why, that could even be considered cheating!”

“Sorry, sorry, Korosensei,” replied Karma, smiling innocently. “I’ve already finished, so I’ll just sit here quietly and eat my gelato.”

“Not during class, you won’t!” warned angrily the yellow creature. “Wait… That’s the gelato I brought back from Italy yesterday!”

“Oh, sorry! It was just chilling in the staff room,” shrugged Karma.

“Sorry won’t cut it! It took pains to fly through the coldest stratosphere to keep that from melting, too!”

“Eh? What are you going to do about it?” taunted the red-haired boy. He licked the gelato. “Hit me?”

“I will not!” Korosensei was red from anger now. “I’ll just have what’s left! Come now, hand it over—“

There was a small ‘POP’ noise, one Ame now easily recognized as a tentacle exploding. Curious, she looked on the floor, only to find numerous anti-sensei BBs covering it. She couldn’t help but notice the similarity of his strategy and the one she had used two days ago.

_Like what, great minds think alike, uh? But I don’t like him. He’s… arrogant. Thinks he’s better than us._

Her eyes however widened when he pulled out a gun. Her hands flew to her ears as she slumped over her desk, trying to block out the noise of the gunshots.

No use.

She gritted her teeth as they echoed in her ears, her body, her mind. She could feel her fingers tensing, burning, and red was flashing before her eyes—

“—Ame? Ame, hey!”

The teen snapped out of her daze, abruptly straightening up. It took her a few seconds to focus on what was happening, only to meet Rio’s blue eyes, which were filled with worry. Frowning, she glanced around and relaxed a little when realizing no one else had remarked her reaction. Karma was no longer in sight, so she guessed he had left and had more than probably caused mayhem while doing so.

“I’m fine,” she assured, gulping a little. “I’m okay.”

“What was that? You just—“

“I said I’m fine!”

Her outburst drew the attention of their teacher.

“I said no talking during a test!”

“Ugh, I’m done anyway.”

He didn’t have to take out his anger on her, did he? She was already pissed at herself for getting worked up like that, no need to add anything. Grabbing her bag, she roughly shoved her quiz into his tentacles and started heading out.

“W- wait! You’re clearly not done—“

“I don’t know how ta do da rest,” she retorted without even looking back. “Just give me a zero and be done with it.”

Ignoring his protests, she quickly left the class. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with any more of this shit today and she was extremely on edge right now, the gunshot still echoing in the back of her mind.

Shaking her head, she started walking faster. The sooner she left the school grounds, the better.

_That’ll teach me not to wear the earplugs in class…_

* * *

.

.

She passed the rest of the day on patrol. She walked around the neighborhood, climbed on a few roofs, took a good look at the alleys… However, she found no trace of another gang. There were no signs intruders might have operated on their territories. So, deciding to drop it for the time being, she finally headed back home.

When she arrived, it was only to find her grandmother in a frenzy.

“Obaa-san? Are you okay?”

“Ame!” Relief was obvious in her tone. “Do you mind taking care of the kids tonight? I completely forgot I had a meeting—“

“Of course, Obaa-san,” chuckled Ame, relaxing. She had been scared something serious had happened. “I’ll take over. Just go and do whatever you need to do, okay? No worries.”

“You’re an angel,” praised her grandmother, kissing her on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Later!”

The woman then left, obviously already late. The black-haired girl rolled her eyes. Her grandmother always forgot she could call her or text her if she ever needed something. Then again, she wasn’t a big fan of technology. She only used the phone Ame had gotten her for emergencies.

“Ame?”

“Oh, Rin! Had a nice day at school?

The girl simply nodded. She wasn’t really one for words, enjoying her peace and silence. She was extremely mature for an eleven-year-old girl, and it sometimes scared their caretaker a little, but Ame always liked the different personalities of the kids living with them.

“Do you need help with your homework tonight?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“’Course I don’t,” assured the teen, patting the girl’s head. “I’m always happy to help. Though, if you keep going like that, I’m afraid I might be the one asking you for help soon.”

Her remark earned her a small smile, but Ame was only half-joking. Rin was an extremely bright child, who was already two years ahead of her class. No doubt that she’d get easily into Kunugigaoka and stay in the A-Class for the whole three years if she kept that pace.

“What do you say about pizza?” she then proposed. “I don’t feel like making anything tonight.”

“Good idea.”

Nodding, the girl grabbed the phone and called for a pizza. Once she was done, she turned to Rin once more.

“Okay, let’s get started!”

* * *

.

.

The next morning, when she reached the base of the mountain, she found Rio waiting for her. She sighed a little. Her reaction yesterday was uncalled for, and she felt kind of bad for yelling at her friend. The poor girl was only worried like any good friend should be.

“Hey, Rio!”

“Oh, Ame!”

The black-haired girl stopped before her, lowering her eyes a little.

“I’m sorry about yesterday. I shouldn’t have blown up like that.”

“It’s okay,” however assured the blonde. “You obviously weren’t feeling good. Happens to the best of us, right?”

“I guess.”

Relieved her friend had forgiven her so easily, Ame allowed herself to relax. She should probably apologize to Korosensei too, now that she thought about it…

“Say, do you think Karma’s gonna try something else today?”

They started going up the mountain.

“Probably. This guy… He’s not about to give up.” Ame clicked her tongue. “I don’t like him.”

“You haven’t even talked to him!”

“Don’t need to. He’s looking down on us, can’t you tell? He’s treating us like background characters…” She scowled. “I hate it!”

“Wow, I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you genuinely disliking someone,” laughed Rio.

“I’m just good at hiding my emotions most of the time,” grunted the teen. “He’s got a gift for getting under people’s skin, though.”

“Ah! Like how he riles up Korosensei?”

“It’s kind of low, but I guess everything’s fair in this assassination thing. I mean, we’re trying to kill him. I can’t really see us applying politically correct methods here.”

The blue-eyed girl nodded in agreement, before changing the subject. They started exchanging a few ideas for Rio’s attempt, laughing as they proposed rather silly plans that would obviously not work. It was good to relax like that, though. When they finally reached the class, though, their good mood died down somewhat.

There, on the desk, was an octopus, stabbed right through the head.

_Seriously?_

Ame scrunched her nose and turned to Karma, who was sitting at his place, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

“That’s just nasty. Was that really necessary?”

“Why do you assume I’m the one did it?” mused the red-haired boy.

“’Cause you’re the only one who’d try something like that. The others wouldn’t be able to stomach it,” she retorted, gesturing to the rest of their classmates. They were all silent, unable to look at it. “You really think that’s going to be enough for Korosensei to lose it?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Only one way to find out, right?”

“Ame, drop it,” frowned Rio, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go sit.”

“Whatever.”

Ignoring the somewhat nauseating smell that was slowly filling the classroom, they both went to take their seats. Leaning on her palm, the black-haired girl then let her gaze wander outside.

_Can’t wait for this day to be over with…_

* * *

.

.

In the end, Korosensei was not angered by the stabbed octopus. In fact, he made some takoyaki with it, and openly challenged Karma. The red-haired boy didn’t take it well, his bloodthirst only rising even more. However, Ame knew he had already lost. Now that their teacher had understood how to handle the boy, there was no way he’d be able to touch him again.

The rest of the day was rather boring, saved for Karma’s useless attempts. The creature ended up doing his nails, brushing his hair, dressing him up… with Korosensei on high alert and always keeping an eye on him, it was near impossible to take him by surprise.

It was almost the end of the day when her phone started vibrating, signaling a call.

“What’s up?” she greeted when answering.

**“We’ve got a lead. There’s definitely something fishy going on right now. Do you mind patrolling again?”**

“Not at all. I’ll look better this time.”

**“Nan, not your fault. We didn’t see anything either, after all. Anyway, see you there.”**

“See you.”

She looked around. Class was about to start, Korosensei had just entered, and Karma hadn’t acted out yet. So, biding her time, she leaned back into her seat. She knew the red-haired boy would provide her with a diversion soon enough. After a few minutes, the boy tried to fire his gun. Korosensei was instantly next to him, doing his eyebrows without interrupting his class. Not wasting a second, Ame climbed on her desk and, without hesitation, jumped through the open window. There were startled gasps from the students as she landed safely on the other side, victorious.

“Yes!”

“No!” cried the teacher, now at the window.

“Third round’s for me, sensei!” she grinned, waving his way. “See you tomorrow~!”

Laughing, she then started running, impatient to get started on her patrol with Hana. It had been a while since they enjoyed a simple mission together, after all. It’d give them some time to catch up.

Back in the classroom, Korosensei slumped a little.

“I’ve lost again…”

Despite his annoyance, Karma was curious. Why did the teacher let that girl just leave? And why did she just jump out the window? What third round?

“What was that?” he let out, confused.

The blonde girl, Nakamura Rio, turned to him.

“Ame and Korosensei have a deal,” she answered, rolling her eyes a little. “She’s got a job and she often gets a call in the middle of the day so she’s always skipping, but Korosensei started a… game, of some sort. If she can escape the classroom, then she can leave. If he catches her, she has to stay for the rest of the day.”

“… what?”

“I know, it’s weird. You’ll get used to it.”

* * *

.

.

The next day, when Ame and Rio got to class, they almost ran into the new boy. The black-haired girl stared at him for a few seconds, surprised.

“… you’ve changed. Korosensei managed to make you see reason?”

“I guess. It’s going to be a fun year,” he replied, going to take his seat.

“Seriously doubt we’ll have another like this one,” agreed Rio with a chuckle.

“Or another year period, if we fail in killing him,” mused Ame.

“You ought to stop being so dark,” sweatdropped the blonde.

Ame merely shrugged. She was only stating the obvious. Sitting down, an idea then popped into her head.

“Hey, Karma?” The boy looked her way. “How good are you at distractions?”

Rio groaned, instantly understanding what she was getting at, and the boy smirked a little, knowing what she was going to ask.

“Good enough, I’d say. What for?”

“How ‘bout a deal? I’m sure the others explain my situation with Korosensei to you, so how about this: you help me escape when I need to and, in exchange, I help you in your assassination attempts,” she proposed. “What do you say?”

“I say…” His smirk widened. “It sounds fun. Let’s call it a deal.”

They shook hands, and Rio let her head hit the desk with another groan. Those two forming an alliance? The class was doomed.


	5. Sixth Period: Intruder Time

“Now, allow me to introduce your brand-new temporary foreign language teacher,” presented Karasuma.

“Irina Jelavic!” exclaimed cheerfully said teacher. “Nice to meet you all!”

Ame stared at her, unimpressed. The woman was dressed very… openly, and she was gushing about Korosensei, hanging to one of his tentacles like a lover.

_Ugh, I don’t need those images…_

She was a beautiful woman, of course, and her acting skills were near perfect. However, the orange-eyed teen knew a seduction master when she met one. Having Uma around was always… an experience, to say the least, and his patterns matched that woman’s.

_Meaning she’s a pro, uh? So they’re already starting to lose hope in us…_

If the government placed high-ranked assassins on the chessboard, this meant they only considered the students as pawns and didn’t care about sacrificing their well-being in order to checkmate.

“This school intends to give you an authentic experience in foreign languages,” informed the agent. “I trust there are no complaints about her taking over half your English lessons?”

“If we must…” answered Korosensei.

And then, he turned pink. Ame facepalmed. Could he truly be fooled so easily? Just because some woman came up to him and showed her breasts?

_For real…_

“The more I look at you, the more I like what I see!” squealed Irina. “Your beady eyes, like two diarrhea pills… Your undefined joints… Why, you’re positively captivating!”

“How embarrassing!”

_He can’t be serious._

* * *

.

.

“I had all kinds of close-ranged methods prepared…” mused Irina. “I just never thought my seduction tactics would work.”

“But you can’t just hire an assassin to work at a school,” warned Karasuma. “We’ll have you do some teaching to keep up appearances.”

“I’m a pro,” replied the woman, somewhat arrogantly. “My job will be done before I need to resort to teaching.”

“Or so you think.”

Both adults stiffened, snapping their eyes to the door, against which none other than Ame was leaning. She didn’t seem that much impressed by the woman near her.

“Overestimating yourself is the most amateurish mistake you can make,” remarked coldly the teen, her orange eyes narrowed. “You know nothing of Korosensei, and this lack of information is what’ll get you killed. Isn’t it how it works for assassins? Kill or be killed?”

There was a moment of heavy silence before the girl shook her head and walked out, heading to the field to join her classmates. Irina frowned at her retreating back, biting her lower lip.

“Who is she?”

“Naoki Ame,” answered Karasuma. “One of your students. She’s the first one who managed to hurt the target, and only her and Akabane Karma have managed that feat so far. I’d suggest not to get on her bad side if you wish to get information from her.”

“Information?” scoffed the blonde. “From a brat like that? I can find out what I need on my own. As said, I am a pro.”

Karasuma merely shrugged. In the end, she was the assassin and it was her mission. She could lead it however she liked, as long as it didn’t put the students’ in harm’s way.

* * *

.

.

“Ooh, Korosensei!”

Ame clicked her tongue in annoyance. She had just joined the game, and that woman was now interrupting it. Lowering her knife, she almost screamed in frustration when, completely smitten, Korosensei left for Vietnam to bring back some coffee for the hidden assassin.

The bell rang almost as soon as he was gone.

“Ne, Irina-sensei? Class is starting. Shouldn’t we go back in?” remarked Isogai.

“Class? Oh, right.” The students stiffened at the suddenly detached tone of the blonde. She brought a cigarette to her lips. “Just make it a study hall or something.”

“Uh?” blinked Okajima, startled by the sudden change of attitude.

“Also, can you not call me by my first name?” she added, lighting her cigarette and inhaling deeply. “I won’t be playing teacher unless that octopus is around, so you are to call me Jelavic-san.”

There was a moment of silence. Then, Irina stiffened as a hand suddenly passed above her shoulder and grabbed her cigarette, pulling it out of her grasp. She spun on her heels, only to find that Naoki girl staring at her, her cigarette between her fingers.

_I didn’t hear her coming behind me!_

“First of all, we wouldn’t be calling you by your first name if you had introduced yourself properly,” she pointed out, scowling a little. “For an infiltration master, you’re forgetting rather basic things. In Japan, we introduce ourselves starting with our last name. Had this been any of your usual missions, you would probably be dead already.”

“Why you little—“

“And second of all…” The teen threw the cigarette on the ground and stepped on it, crushing it until it fully went out. “Smoking is prohibited on campus. If you want to ‘play teacher’ when Korosensei is around, you probably should take a look at the school’s rules first. You know, so that he doesn’t get suspicious.”

The blonde was fuming. How dare that little girl tell her how to do her damn job!? She was a pro, an assassin! She could kill her in the blink of an eye if she wanted to, so who did she think she was—

_Wait, what’s that?_

Her eyes landed on the ring the teen was wearing on the middle finger of her left hand. It was rather large, obviously made of real gold, and the letter ‘Z’ was engraved into it, in black and cursive.

 _That’s a gang membership proof,_ she realized, narrowing her eyes. _But I’ve never seen that symbol before. Whom is she with? I need to study it, maybe send it to some of my contacts to get more information._

“Found something interesting, Irina-sensei?”

The blonde was snapped back to reality and offered her a honeyed smile.

“Merely wondering where you got that ring of yours. Quite pretty, really. Real gold, isn’t it?”

“Family heirloom,” shrugged the girl without missing a beat, not a single trace of hesitation in her tone or body language. “Never bothered to look into it.”

 _She’s warning me not to inquire more. Who_ is _that kid!?_

Sensing the growing tension between the two, Karma decided to step in.

“So, what are you going to do, Bitch-san?” he taunted.

“No nicknames!” warned angrily the woman.

“You’re an assassin, right?” added the boy, unperturbed. “The entire class working together can’t kill this monster, and you’re going to kill him all by yourself?”

“Brat,” huffed the woman, before smirking. “Grown-ups have their own grown-ups ways of doing things.” She then turned to the blue-haired student. “You must be Nagisa… Shiota Nagisa, right?”

Ame snorted as the woman corrected herself at the last second. However, her amusement was soon forgotten and replaced by disgust as the woman suddenly leaned closer to the boy and kissed him. Once he was completely out of it due to sheer shock, the woman finally released him and hugged him, his face right into her breasts.

“Come to the staff room later, I’d like to see what you have on him,” she cooed, before truly letting him go and turning to the rest of the students. “The same goes for anyone else with key intel! I’ll give you something good in return. I can even swap in a man for you girls.” At that moment, three men showed up, carrying equipment. “After all, it’s a pro’s job to have both technique and connections. Now, you brats go watch from the outfield. Oh, and one more thing: interfere even slightly in my assassination… and I’ll kill you.”

Some killing intent was now weighing in the air. Ame simply scoffed, though. If that was all that woman could manage, then she truly wasn’t a threat. Hell, even Usagi was scarier when he threatened someone. However, she decided not to add anything else. She had said what she wanted to say, for now.

_And now it’s English, but she won’t bother teaching us anything…_

“Hey, Karma,” she called as the students started heading back inside.

“What is it?”

“Feeling up for skipping?”

“Mmm… I think I’ll stay this time around,” he shrugged, smirking a little. “Teasing Bitch-san will be fun.”

“Suit yourself. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See ya.”

The teen quickly went to class and grabbed her things, before heading out. As she stepped outside, though, she ran into the agent who was now their teacher.

“Karasuma-san,” she greeted.

“Where are you going?” he frowned. “Class is starting—“

“Class? There’s no teacher to teach us, so I wouldn’t call it a class,” she deadpanned.

He cringed a little at the remark. “Irina Jelavic is a master in numerous languages and—“

“Not the point. She doesn’t want to teach us, she’s completely focused on her assassination. Though, in a way, I can’t really blame her. Her reputation as an assassin is on the line, after all,” pointed out the teen. “But it won’t get her anywhere. She’s already convinced she’s going to win, and that’ll be her downfall.”

“… She is here on government orders. Until she is done with her mission, I’m afraid you and the students will have to bear with it,” he sighed. “But English class is still very important. You shouldn’t leave without a good reason.”

_So he’s already starting to fall into the teacher persona? How cute._

_“I don’t need English classes. I am already bilingual. Plus, I don’t want to spend more time than I have to with that viper,”_ she then replied in perfect English.

He blinked, though found himself unable to wonder. That girl was a still-growing mystery, and he doubted she could surprise him more than she already had.

“Anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow, Karasuma-san.”

With a careless wave, she then left. He watched her go for a second, before shaking his head with a sigh. He wasn’t used to dealing with kids, and he’d rather not get involved too personally with the E-Class students if he could help it.

* * *

.

.

As soon as night fell, Ame slipped out of her room through her window. She had found no trace of a gang intruding in their territory on the last few patrols, but she and the other members knew something was up. Usually, finding if another gang was present was rather easy. However, the one they were now facing was quite careful when it came to their identity and other basic info.

So, she decided to take it upon herself to find out who were the idiots who thought they could challenge the Zodiac on their own turf.

She didn’t bother with her mask. It’d only attract unwanted attention. Plus, if she actually found whoever she was looking for, then they might assume she was living close and start digging around, thus putting her grandmother and the kids in danger. Plus, it was an independent mission. She was now acting as Naoki Ame, a normal teenager, and not as Kitsune, a member of the Zodiac.

There were only two proofs that Ame was part of the Yakuza group. The first one was her ring, which granted her access to Headquarters and different little hideouts where she could get her hands on equipment. It also allowed her to contact other members in case of an emergency, and it was also used as a way to make all the members gather as fast as possible. Another of the rules of the Zodiac was: never take off your ring. Otherwise, it’d be taken for granted that you were dead. So, needless to say, Ame never disobeyed that rule.

The second proof was more subtle and very easy to hide. It was a tattoo on the back of her neck, which consisted of seven little black dots. To anyone, they appeared as mere moles, but they actually represented the constellation of the Little Fox, Vulpecula. All the members had such tattoos so that they could recognize each other during infiltration missions and such.

Anyhow, the ring and the tattoo were the only things that could link Ame to the Zodiac. No one knew about the tattoos saved for the members and her ring was hidden thanks to the gloves she was wearing. So, there truly was no way that whichever gang was running amok could know about her allegiance.

She’d use that to her advantage.

_Though I have to find them first. Where the hell should I start? Dark alleys are kind of cliché, but if they’re selling drugs…_

Not knowing where to start, she decided to go with her instinct. She truly hated running around blind, having grown used to being well-informed whenever she went out on the field (selling information and knowing things _were_ the Zodiac’s trademarks, after all), she didn’t have much of a choice. So, knowing it’d be a long night, she started looking.

* * *

.

.

It’s only a little past one in the morning that she finally found what she was looking for. Silent, she leaned against the wall, just near the entrance of an alley, in which four men were selling some drug to a couple of delinquents.

She closed her eyes to focus on their voices.

“—cheaper and better than the usual one.”

“Why is it the first time we’ve heard of it?” wondered the sole woman present.

“Change of guard, if you really wanna know. We’re not that known right now, but we’re taking over this territory,” replied one of the men.

“You crazy or somethin’ pal? The territory’s already claimed. You really gonna challenge ‘em?” retorted the other civilian, snorting.

“Who’re ‘them’, uh? Small gangs dividing the place amongst themselves? We’re gonna kick them out real quick, you’ll see.”

“What, you haven’t heard?” mused the woman. “All those gangs are working for a much bigger one. It’s a complete system, you don’t stand a chance.”

“System? We’re already in it, sweetheart,” chuckled another of the truants.

Ame fought back the urge to facepalm. Of course, they didn’t find anything, the gang acting up was one of those working under the Zodiac! They had grown complacent, completely forgetting about their underlings.

 _Only the leaders of each gang know of the Zodiac, and even them don’t know how any of us looks like, so normal henchmen like these don’t know about anything about our members. They think it’s merely a sharing system between a few gangs. However, if one of the leaders has decided to take us on…_ She clenched her fist. _Even if we discover who it is, we won’t be able to disband them quietly. We need to figure out how many people are in on this and to what extent goes this treason._

There was some shuffling as the group finished selling, and Ame took this as her cue to leave. Alone, she wouldn’t stand a chance. She was a thief, not a warrior, and she’d rather not get involved in a fight without necessity. So, deciding to simply report what she had found the next day, she quickly and quietly made her way back home.

Her job was done, for now.

* * *

.

.

When morning came, Ame was dead tired but forced herself to move and get ready for the day. If she was late too many times, Korosensei would have her kicked out of the assassination, and that was something she couldn’t afford right now. So, dragging her feet, she started heading for school.

It’s only halfway there that she remembered what she had found out the night before.

_Shoot! Gotta call Hana…_

Grabbing her phone, she dialed the red-haired woman’s number. After the fourth ring, she picked up.

**“Didn’t think you’d be awake. You know, what with your long night.”**

Ame cringed. “You know about that?”

**“Of course I do. You’re rather predictable. But what have I told you about independent missions?”**

“That I shouldn’t do them,” sighed the girl, not in the mood for a scolding. “But I couldn’t just stay there and do nothing! Plus, I wasn’t even close to being found out!”

Hana sighed heavily. **“Have you found something, at least?”**

“It’s me we’re talking about,” scoffed the teen. “So yeah, I did. Now, do you want the info or should I tell you later?”

**“Don’t play that game with me. What’d you find?”**

“Gee, touchy… Anyway, we couldn’t find anything previously because we were looking too far. There isn’t any new gang or anything, it’s one of those working under us. I couldn’t tell whom, I didn’t stick around long enough else they’d have found me, but at least we’ve got a lead, now.”

**“True. Though, I have no idea where we can start looking. We’ve got what, a dozen gangs right now? And we’ve managed to have them work for us for years without them ever even knowing who we are. How the hell are we supposed to find out the traitors without blowing our cover?”**

“Infiltration?” shrugged the teen. “Hell, I don’t know. Do you want me to come over later so that we can work it out?”

**“Might be for the best. No skipping for you today, though.”**

“What? When I said later, I meant—“

**“You meant now, I know. But! You shouldn’t have gone on that self-appointed mission without at least warning one of us, so suffering through the whole day is your punishment. You’ll come to Headquarters after. Enjoy!”**

And then Hana hung up.

Ame gaped at her phone for a few seconds, before grumbling under her breath and shoving it in her pockets, annoyed. It’s not like she had been caught or anything, right? Plus, she was convinced all the other members went on independent missions all the time. Just because she was the youngest member didn’t mean she was helpless either. She wanted to help, damn it!

Too caught up in her frustration, she didn’t see the man before her until she ran into him.

“Oof!” She stumbled back, surprised. “Whoa. Sorry about that—“

“Sorry?” The man slowly turned around, revealing his shirt, on which was now smeared some chocolate. “You brat! You dirtied my short and made me drop my breakfast!”

His voice was familiar. She knew she heard it before.

“Err, I can pay you… back…” She trailed off when her eyes landed on a small bag on the ground.

In it was a pale blue powder.

 _Drug_. Her eyes widened in understanding. _He’s one of the guys from yesterday!_

Not really thinking straight, she suddenly grabbed the small bag and instantly made a run for it.

“HEY! Come back here!”

“As if!”

It was the drug they were selling yesterday, she was certain of that. Maybe it’d help identify the group that had betrayed them? She needed to bring it back to Headquarters to have it analyzed. However, she knew perfectly well that the woman wouldn’t budge on her idea of punishment, no matter the circumstances, so going now simply wasn’t in her options.

“Gotcha!”

She jumped on a bench, avoiding the hand that had shot out to grab her. She then propelled herself on the guy’s back, the sudden weight making him fall. She landed back on her feet as he quite literally ate the dust, and instantly disappeared from his sight. Once hidden, she dared to take a look. The guy was back on his feet, his eyes darting around angrily in hopes of finding her. When he realized that he wouldn’t be able to find her, he cursed loudly, before stomping away. Ame exhaled in relief. Having a confrontation in the middle of the day truly wasn’t the greatest idea, and she’d rather not have her civilian persona involved in illegal things like drugs and street fights if she could help it.

As she started heading back for school, though, she realized that she wouldn’t be able to bring her loot in class. Korosensei had a wicked sense of smell, he’d find her out instantly. And then what? It’d bring up a lot of questions, none of which she wanted to answer.

 _I can leave it at one of the drop points_ , she thought. _I’ll be late, but it’s better than being accused of taking drugs, I guess._

She took a detour, heading for one of the drop points used by the Zodiac. Herself never actually used one of those before, they were usually for the members who were undercover, but it was her last option. So, careful not to be seen, she hid it under a rock, which was under a tree, which was on the side of an almost always empty street. Once done, she quickly texted Hana.

**“Got something for you to analyze. Might be a lead. Drop point RTS-24.”**

**\- K**

Her work done, she finally started making her way back to school. If she hurried, she’d make it by half of the first period, so it wasn’t so bad.

She received Hana’s reply as she reached the gates.

**“I told you not to act solo without warning us! But fine, I’ll go. Now stop buying yourself time and get your ass in class already.”**

**\- H**

Ame snorted but didn’t reply. She knew Hana wasn’t really mad, just watching out for her. And, in the end, the teen couldn’t really find it in her to blame her.

It was nice to know she had people watching her back.

* * *

.

.

She was late, but Korosensei didn’t make a fuss, what with the new English teacher still gushing about him and his tentacles.

 _At least_ one _thing that woman is useful for…_

The second period consisted of gym with Karasuma. However, as if to punish her even more, fate made it so it was shooting day. Of course, she had learned her lesson well and was now wearing her special earplugs as soon as she stepped on school grounds, but it didn’t mean she was comfortable either.

She didn’t bother changing, instead going up to the government agent while the rest of her classmates started getting ready.

“Naoki-san,” he greeted. “Are you not getting ready?”

“I can’t shoot,” she informed bluntly, straight to the point. “I know you expect us to learn all the basics of assassination, but shooting… I can’t do it.” She pulled out one of her earplugs to show him. “Korosensei made those for me since I can’t stand gunshots. However, holding them is a big no-no too.”

“Frankly, I’m not forcing any of the students into these activities,” he replied. “It is better to know them, but you are free to refuse. The reasons are your own, of course. If you do not feel comfortable with holding a gun, no one can blame you, really. You’re still children, after all.”

The teen bit back a bitter smile at the last remark. She wasn’t a child, hadn’t been for a long time, but Karasuma proved to be extremely understanding and she didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble. So, she simply bowed.

“Thank you for your comprehension. I’ll be in class if anyone needs me.”

He simply nodded, and Ame returned to the classroom. On the way there, she almost ran into Irina. The two exchanged a glare before parting ways.

“I’m acting now,” the woman then announced, making the teen stop in her tracks. “Don’t get in my way.”

“I won’t need to. You’ll fail without me needing to interfere.”

The blonde gritted her teeth at the obvious insult and Ame disappeared into the classroom. The orange-eyed teen knew just the right buttons to push her into an irate state. However, Irina Jelavic was a pro. It wasn’t a fifteen-years old’s petty insults that would make her lose control. So, breathing in deeply, she then fell back into character and stepped out.

_Time to get this mission over with._

* * *

.

.

Gym class was over. All of the students had however been distracted by the assassination lead by the pro assassin.

They didn’t like her. Not one bit.

However, her attempt failed. Horribly. Humiliatingly. So, it was with a bounce in their step that the students returned to class for the English lesson. Knowing the woman had suffered such a bitter defeat lifted their spirits more than most liked to admit.

“Too bad Ame missed it,” sighed Rio, walking into the classroom.

“She probably predicted the outcome anyway,” pointed out Karma.

“Knowing her? Yeah, she did—oh!” They had thought the teen had left without anyone noticing, to be frank. But there she was, actually sleeping on her desk. “Wow. Didn’t think she was still here.”

“Should we wake her?” wondered the red-haired boy.

The blonde’s lips twitched a little as she sat to her own desk. “Be my guest.”

Somewhat suspicious of the girl’s mysterious smile, the boy however stepped forward and went to stand next to Ame’s sleeping form. After one last moment of hesitation, his hand fell on her shoulder, and he started shaking her.

“Oi, Ame, wake up— gah!”

He didn’t have the time to finish, the teen’s knife suddenly at his throat. He gulped a little, thankful it was only a rubber one, as Ame slowly straightened up.

“I swear ta God, Uma, ya better not…” Her scowl fell as she blinked, staring up in surprise at her classmate. “Karma?”

“Do you threaten all the guys who wake you up with a knife to their throat?” he sweatdropped as she finally lowered her weapon.

“Only the annoying ones.”

Rio laughed at that, and Karma glared at her a little.

“You knew she was going to do that?”

“Ame’s rather edgy when people take her by surprise,” shrugged the blonde, smirking. “I’ve learned not to wake her up unless there’s a two-meter distance between us, at least.”

“Thanks for the warning,” grunted the redhead, rubbing his throat.

“Sorry. Bad reflex,” apologized Ame, rubbing the back of her head. “Just throw an eraser at my head or something next time. It’ll be safer.”

“I’ll… remember that.”

* * *

.

.

The English class turned into a study hall. The students weren’t working, though, their attention on Irina Jelavic. The woman was sitting at the front, obviously growing more and more unnerved.

“Dammit! Why doesn’t this backwoods school has Wi-Fi!?”

“You’re trying awful hard, Bitch-san,” mused Karma, leaning into his seat with his arms crossed behind his head. “Your pride must be in tatters after that failure.”

The blonde bared her teeth at him, about to retort, when Isogai raised his hand.

“Miss?”

“What?” she huffed, exasperated.

“If you won’t teach us anything, could you swap with Korosensei?” he asked. “We have entrance exams this year.”

“Ah!” Her laugh was disbelieving, mocking. “You want that vicious creature to teach you? You think your exams compare at all to a planetary crisis? Must be nice being such clueless kids!” She rose to her feet, looking down on them. “Besides, from what I’ve understood, you E-Class students are the school’s loser misfits. There can’t be any point to studying now. I know—how about this? If my attempt succeeds, I’ll give you five million yen to share! That’s far more than you’d gain from any pointless schoolwork. So shut up, and do—“

The woman was cut off as an eraser suddenly flew past her face and landed on the blackboard behind her. She blinked a few times, startled, and Ame snorted, another eraser in hands.

“I don’t usually miss. That was just a warning,” she casually informed. “Get lost already.”

“What—“

But the whole glass started glowering at her. There was pressure in the air, and any idiot would have noticed that they weren’t welcome. Five seconds passed before the status quo broke down and the students started throwing at her whatever they could get their hands on.

“Get out!”

“Bring in Korosensei!”

“W-what are you doing!?” she snapped, unable to escape all of the projectiles. “I’ll kill you—“

“I’d like to see you try!”

“Yeah, that’s right! Down with big boobs!”

“Wait, _that’s_ your complaint?”

After a few more seconds, the pro gave up and left the classroom with an irate scream. The door slammed behind her, and the chaos that had taken over the classroom finally died down.

…

…

…

“So…” Okajima glanced around, rubbing the back of his head. “What do we do?”

“Well, it’s a study hall,” pointed out Ame, rising to her feet. She stretched her arms a little. “Why don’t we go study some assassination tactics or something?”

“That’s a great idea!” lit up Rio. “Let’s go!”

Agreeing, the students soon left the classroom, chatting animatedly and completely forgetting about the teacher they had just kicked out.

* * *

.

.

“Take that!”

The ball hit the ground, making Ame’s team cheer. They started exchanging it again, everything going fast. They had already grown used to the game that Karasuma had shown them the week before and all of the students were making fast progress. Assassination Volleyball was an easy and fun way to learn how to strike a moving target, so it was perfect training for them.

“Incoming!”

“I got it!”

Kurahashi jumped but missed. Ame instantly threw her knife, hitting the ball with enough strength to return it to their opponents. Too surprised by the impromptu move, they didn’t react fast enough to stop it from hitting the ground.

“Hey, that’s cheating!” protested Muramatsu.

“Never heard of a rule stating you can’t throw your knife,” shrugged Ame, smug.

“Yosh! Point for us!” cheered Fuwa.

“What? No way!” protested Maehara.

The two teams started bickering. Seeing this, Ame couldn’t help but smile. Being assassins-in-training really created weird bonds between the students, but she couldn’t say she disliked it.

* * *

.

.

The door of the classroom slammed open. Irina Jelavic stepped in, and wrote a sentence in English on the blackboard, before turning to them.

_“You are incredible in bed. Repeat!”_

There was a moment of silence, none of the students really knowing what to do. They had kicked her out earlier, so should they really do what she was saying? Well, that and most of them had no idea what she had just said. In the end, they decided to go along with it and returned to their places.

“Come on!” she prompted.

 _“You- you are incredible in bed,”_ finally echoed the rest of the students.

Well, save for Ame. No way was she saying _that_.

“When I assassinated a certain VIP in America, I first turned on the charm to get close to his bodyguard. Those are the words he said to me. They mean: you’re incredible in bed.”

Ame’s classmates paled a little when realizing what they had just said out loud, and the orange-eyed teen didn’t know whether to laugh or facepalm.

“It’s often said that the fastest way to learn another language is to get yourself a lover who speaks it,” pursued the woman, unperturbed. “You want to know what they’re feeling, so you try your hardest to understand what they say. When necessary in the course of my work, I have used that method to learn more than a few new languages. Therefore, my lessons will teach you how to sweet-talk foreigners. The basics of chummy chat, straight from a pro assassin: master them and they’ll come in handy with a real live foreigner.” Then, she lowered her eyes a little. “Let that octopus teach you what you need for your exams. The only thing I can teach you is practical conversation skills. And then, if you still don’t think of me as a teacher, I’ll give up on my assassination and leave. That- that ought to fly with you all, right? And… I’m sorry, about all that stuff.”

There was a deep blush on her face by now, obvious telltale of her embarrassment, and all the students exchanged stunned glances… before bursting in laughter.

“Why so nervous?” exclaimed Karma, grinning. “You were just threatening to kill us!”

“Well, she’s totally a teacher now,” mused Maehara.

“Yeah, we can’t call you ‘Bitch-san’ anymore,” added Okano.

“You… you understand,” gasped Irina, a hand now covering her mouth.

“It was a pretty rude thing to call a teacher,” admitted Rio with a shrug.

“Yeah, we need something else,” agreed Kayano.

“Then, how about ‘Bitch-sensei’?”

The emotional mood instantly vanished as the blonde assassin stiffened, before chuckling nervously.

“Err… How about we move away from the whole ‘bitch’ thing?” she proposed. “I know! Just call me by my first name. I don’t mind—“

“But that bitch thing really isn’t going away,” taunted Maehara.

“Mmm! Bitch-sensei fits her way better than Miss Irina,” nodded Fuwa, before beaming at the woman. “Well, there you have it. Welcome, Bitch-sensei!”

“Let’s get started, Bitch-sensei!”

As everyone started yelling along, more and more veins started appearing on the woman’s forehead. She lasted longer than Ame thought she would, so she had to give her props for that. However, she still ended up losing.

“Ugh! I hate you all so much!!!” she screamed. “Don’t screw with me! Bunch of rotten brats!”

As she kept on cursing up a storm, Ame hid a smile behind her palm. In the end, maybe having that woman around wouldn’t be so bad.

* * *

.

.

“I’m back—“

“Why hello there~!”

_God no—_

The girl didn’t react in time, though. Before she could even gasp in horror, slender fingers wrapped themselves around her wrist and dragged her down, making her fall on the couch.

Or rather, on the person who was lying on the couch.

“Hey~!”

“Uma!” The girl struggled to shove him off, but she was trapped on his lap as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. “Let go! Damn it, I told you to stop doing that!”

“But I missed you so much~!” he whined, holding her even closer.

Understanding she wouldn’t win this one, Ame stopped struggling and simply let the blond hug her to his heart’s content. It had been a while since they last saw each other, after all, so she guessed she could cut him some slack this time around.

Uma was a tall, blond man with deep blue eyes. He wasn’t Japanese, he entered the country illegally a few years prior and the Zodiac picked him up before the authorities could get their hands on him. He was the seduction master of the group, and he was, unfortunately, more often driven by his lust than his reason. That guy was also the one who taught her English. He was also… extremely open, when it came to showing affection. The man had taken a particular liking to Ame, often calling her his little sister… though the teen asked herself if he had a thing for incest, sometimes.

“So, what have you been up to, sweetheart?” he then asked, still not letting her go.

“Failing tests. Skipping class. Being awesome,” she resumed, counting on her fingers. “Ooh, and sleeping during the lessons, can’t forget that one.”

He laughed at that, before kissing her on the cheek loudly. She scrunched up her nose, instantly shoving his face away.

“Stop it! Don’t…” Her eyes widened in horror as a glint of malice lightened his gaze. “No! No, don’t you dare—gah! No! Stop it! Don’t—ah! Ah ah—ah ah aha ah! S-stop!”

But he wasn’t stopping, tickling her mercilessly. It’s only once she no longer was able to properly formulate her pleads and curses due to a lack of air that he finally released her. She rolled off his lap and landed on the caret with a ‘THUMP’.

Panting, it took her a few seconds to muster her energy and glare at him.

“I hate you.”

But she couldn’t shake off the smile from her lips.

“Okay. Now that you’re done molesting the kid, maybe we can get to the real reason why we’re here?”

Ame would have jumped had she been able to do so. Lifting her gaze, her orange eyes met dark red ones.

“Karasu!”

“Yo.”

“Kara-chan, I wasn’t—“

“Don’t call me that,” warned the younger man, his right eye twitching. “And you’re thirty-two, for God’s sake, and she’s fifteen. Stop acting so touchy-feely already.”

“But I looove her...” whined Uma.

“Then don’t love her that much. It’s creepy.”

“Ugh, guys, stop fighting,” groaned Ame. “I swear, you two become actual children as soon as you’re around each other. Which is bad, considering you’re partners.”

“Which is horrible, trust me.”

“So mean, Kara-chan~!”

Karasu sighed heavily for only answer, rubbing his temples.

Having actual partners in the Zodiac wasn’t usual. Normally, members were independent of each other since each had different skills that could be put to good use on different missions. However, Karasu was the main info-gatherer of the organization. No one really knew how he did it, but he always knew everything about everyone, including each of the members’ true identity and other personal information. So, his skills were put to good use on bigger-scale missions, for which he often needed a partner inside.

Otherwise said, a master of infiltration.

“Can’t we just get started already?” finally pleaded the black-haired man.

“Started on what?” finally caught on Ame, rising back to her feet. “Were you called here because of the situation with the gangs?”

“Aa,” confirmed Karasu. “Thanks to your little stunt from yesterday, we now know where to look. And, again thanks to you, we more or less know which gang is in on it. The drugs they’re selling is a new one on the market, to which very few have access. It’ll be easier to narrow down our options using that info.”

“So you and Uma are going undercover?”

“Not yet,” answered the blond, stifling a yawn. “We need to find out which gang it is first. We’ll work on finding them out, to begin with.”

“Though, you’ll have to be careful,” added Karasu, more serious now. “Most of their activities are in your area, from what we’ve already gathered. Considering it’s one of the farthest from our main base of operation, it’s safe to assume that they more or less know the location of our main force and thus are trying to take over the territory starting by the borders. Once those are secured, they probably think they’ll be able to slowly close in on us or something.”

“Understood. I’ll just hide my ring and try not to gain attention,” she nodded. “Though, do you want me to do some more patrolling? I do live there.”

“… Maybe from time to time,” relented the red-eyed man. “Maybe take pictures of the members, pick up their patterns, that kind of stuff.”

“Though, don’t hang around too much,” warned Uma, dropping his flirtatious attitude for once. “If they end up spotting you too many times and they connect the dots, you’ll be in trouble.”

“Agreed. I’ll go out once a week or something like that, try to get some more info for you guys,” she assured. “And I’ll be careful. Though, you guys should know by now that I never get caught. It’s kind of my thing, you know?”

Uma roughly ruffled her hair at that, making her grunt in annoyance.

“Don’t get overconfident, Ame-chan. It always leads to trouble!”

“Yeah. Remember how it turned out last time?” added Karasu.

At that, the teen stiffened. Uma instantly shot a glare at his partner, who cringed when realizing what he had just said.

“Ame—“

“It’s fine. I’ll… I’ll get going. My grandmother’s gonna grow worried otherwise.” She picked up her bag and offered them a smile. “And I’ll be careful, I promise. I’ll call if I find anything new.”

“… Okay. We’ll warn you if anything pops up,” concluded Karasu.

“And do drop by our apartment to visit sometime! You know you’re always welcome, Ame-chan~!” added Uma, hugging her tightly once more.

She let him. While his affection was somewhat suffocating, she knew it was his way of showing that he cared for her. When he let her go, she waved to the two of them, before heading out.

As soon as she left the room, Uma elbowed the black-haired man.

“Ouch! What was that for?” protested Karasu, rubbing the sore spot.

“You really need to learn how to speak to ladies,” deadpanned the blond.

“Hey, it slipped out! I know I messed up, okay? I’ll just… make it up to her next time.”

“You know, for a guy who knows all the secrets of the country, you sure have a big mouth.”

“Just shut up already.”

* * *

.

.

Ame wandered in class early the next morning. She didn’t want to risk running into a member of the unknown gang so soon after having provoked them, and they were starting in gym that day, so she’d have some time to warm up. When she arrived, though, she almost ran into none other than Irina Jelavic.

There was a moment of silence as the two stared at each other, unmoving. Then, the woman sighed, crossing her arms over her ample chest.

“We haven’t started on the best of terms. Frankly, I don’t like your attitude. However… you had a point. As a pro, I shouldn’t have grown overconfident. That is why…” Blushing a little in embarrassment, the blonde extended her left hand to her. “Why I suggest that we start over again, as teacher and student. What do you say?”

Ame stared at her for a few seconds, before nodding and shaking her hand. As she pulled away, though, a shock of pain ran through her middle finger. Biting back a cringe, she then smirked at Irina’s stunned expression.

The woman had tried taking off her ring. Had it been any normal ring and any normal person, she would have probably managed to take it without her victim even noticing. However, it wasn’t a normal ring, and Ame wasn’t a normal person.

“That ring is quite precious to me,” she informed casually, shoving her hands in her pockets. “If you really want us to start over, I’d suggest not beginning our new… relationship, by stealing what is mine.”

“I wasn’t—“

 _“Don’t try digging up my secrets, Irina Jelavic,”_ warned the teen in English, walking past her to get inside. _“It’ll only lead to trouble, for both of us.”_

As the door closed, she tilted her head, and her orange eyes met Irina’s. Her smirk widened a little as she offered a taunting wave.

“See you in class, Bitch-sensei.”

And she fully vanished from sight. Irina stared at the now-closed door for a few seconds, somewhat shaken. That girl… Naoki Ame’s aura reminded Irina of the one she had so many years ago, when she was her age.

 _Dangerous_.

Whatever was going on, she wasn’t getting involved in this. She’d work on her assassination and her teaching, and leave the rest to that octopus.

With a groan, she slapped her hand over her face.

_I hate kids…_


	6. Sixth Period: Protection Time

The door of the classroom slammed open, letting enter a rather frazzled Ame. Her eyes were wide, she was panting, and her hair was a wild mess.

“I am so sorry! I swear to God, I didn’t mean to be late!”

The rest of the class stared at her with wide eyes. Ame had been late to class ever since the year began and, while she had been getting better ever since she made that deal with Korosensei, it was still a habit she had a hard time getting rid off. So, to see her actually bothered by her lateness, for once, greatly shocked them.

“Ame… Are you sick?” frowned Rio.

“What? No!” She ran a hand through her hair, agitated. “My alarm didn’t work this morning and no one woke me up because they thought I was already gone for school and I _swear_ I didn’t mean to miss the first three periods but—“

“First three?” echoed Isogai, confused. “Naoki-san, this is the first period.”

“… what?”

“Niryufufufu!” Korosensei laughed, rubbing his tentacles together. “Isogai-kun is right! This is the first period of the day: chemistry!”

“But… they told me… Ugh. You know what? Forget it ever happened,” she huffed in defeat, taking the seat next to Rio. She let her head hit the table. “Just start the lesson already.”

Her classmates were now muffling laughs and smiles. The girl really wasn’t one for early mornings, that much was obvious. And, well, to see the usually calm teen so distraught was rather entertaining.

“Now, now, Naoki-san!” chuckled her teacher, coming to stand next to her. His tentacle patted her head. “No sleeping in class—“

He was cut off as the girl suddenly straightened up, slicing through three of his tentacles before throwing the knife at his head. He instantly vanished, reappearing on the other side of the classroom.

There was a moment of silence.

“Damn it!” she cursed, sitting back down. “Almost had you…“

“You mean that was planned all along!?” gaped Muramatsu.

“Well duh. Worst thing is, no one suspected a thing even though I acted so out of character,” she snorted, pulling a hairbrush from her bag. She started rearranging her hair correctly. “But well, I guess I’ll have to think of something else now.”

Her teacher chuckled once more, his skin turning orange.

“Wonderful attempt, Naoki-san! Though, now, we truly must start the lesson. So, without further interruption…”

Ame finished brushing her hair, before leaning against the table. She would probably sleep through it. She did have a late-night patrol the night before… An eraser suddenly hit her square in the forehead, startling her out of the daze she was falling into.

“Oi!”

“No sleeping in class!” warned Korosensei. She then noticed that each of his tentacles was holding a projectile of some sort. “And I am ready to forcefully keep you awake if I have to!”

_Damn it… To think I got up early too…_

* * *

.

.

The class was coming to an end. After getting hit by an eraser for the fourth time, Ame gave up on trying to sleep and half-listened to the lesson. Korosensei ended up stealing the snacks the students had bought for the experimentations but, as her classmates started protesting, Okuda Manami rose to her feet and walked up to their teacher.

“A- ano, sensei…”

“Can I help you, Okuda-san?”

“Ano…!” She suddenly extended three vials full of weird liquid. “Those are poisons! Please drink them!”

Ame gaped at her for a few seconds, genuinely taken by surprise.

“And I thought _I_ was straightforward…”

“I- I guess that’s too much to ask…?” blushed the purple-eyed teen.

“My, this is certainly an honest assassination attempt, Okuda-san,” mused Korosensei.

“It’s- it’s because I’m not good at surprise attacks and stuff like everyone else… But I _am_ good at chemistry, so I made this with all my heart and soul!”

“Heart and soul of what? A poison mistress?” sweatdropped Ame.

Rio roughly elbowed her.

“O- Okuda…” Sugino scratched the back of his head. “No one would be dumb enough to drink it just like that…”

“Well then! I would be delighted to!” Their teacher suddenly opened the first vial—“Itadakimasu!”—and drank it all in one shot.

“No way!”

“He drank it!?”

He suddenly bent over his desk, shaking. Ame tensed in anticipation. Could it truly be working after all? Were poisons actually efficient?

_I should have asked Hana for some!_

“What?”

“Is this for real?”

Suddenly, his skin turned blue and his head elongated weirdly, two horns growing out of his forehead.

_What kind of reaction is that?_

“Ah, yes. This tastes like sodium hydroxide,” he mused. “It’s poisonous to humans, but not to me, I’m afraid.”

“Oh…”

“There are two others, correct? All right, then!”

He opened the second vial and drank it. He started shaking again, bands of sweat rolling down his forehead… before his whole face turned green and wings sprouted from each side of his head.

_What kind of reaction is that!?_

“Ah, thallium acetate,” recognized their teacher. “Now, for the last one!”

And thus he drank the last one. He started trembling as a weird aura suddenly grew around him. Ame froze, wondering if maybe this one actually worked—

“Oh.”

His face turned entirely blank. Like, literally. It was a grayish white and lacked his usual facial expression.

_WHAT KIND OF REACTION IS THAT?_

“Aqua regia, I see. The only effect they have is on my face. Even if you hate me, please don’t hate assassination.”

Ame wanted to tear her hair out of exasperation. “Where the hell does this even come from!?”

“Also, Okuda-san.” The girl looked up, startled. “I can’t overlook a student making poison unsupervised. it’s not safe.”

“Right. I apologize,” bowed the bespectacled girl.

“If you have time later, why don’t we work together on a poison that will kill me?” the octopus then proposed.

The student lightened up at that. “Y- yes!”

Ame let her head meet the table for the second time that morning. Making poison with the target? This whole assassination situation was seriously getting out of hand.

* * *

.

.

“Now, let’s add it into the ethanol. Oh, and be careful not to inhale the fumes.”

“Right!”

Ame leaned against the wall, listening in on what was happening in the class. The other students were already outside playing a round of Assassination Volleyball, but she wanted to see how Okuda’s creation would turn out. She had no doubt the poison she was creating with Korosensei wouldn’t actually kill him (who’d be stupid enough to do that?) but she had no doubt the effects would be as entertaining and ridiculous as the last ones.

“Your grades in science class are superb, you know,” then remarked their teacher. “But…”

“But everything else goes right over my head,” completed Okuda, already knowing what he was getting at. “It’s only natural that I ended in the E Class. I’m especially bad at languages… I never know which way is the right way to phrase things or how to express my feelings as a person.” There was a moment of silence. “But… I’m okay with that. Because equations and formulas always have the right answer. They’re free of fussy word games and complicated emotions.”

“That’s true. In that case… I have a homework assignment for you.” There was a rustle of clothes. “Handle it with utmost care.”

“O- okay!”

Understanding they were done with their work, Ame simply hid in the shadows. A few seconds later, Okuda quickly ran out of the classroom, a small smile on her lips. She was obviously excited to get started on whatever work Korosensei had given her. Ame watched her go, somewhat amused. She could understand why Okuda thought the way she did, but communication was a part of being human. You couldn’t simply avoid it. Plus, with her abilities in chemistry and science, assassination would actually be a piece of cake, if she simply knew how to handle words better.

“May I do something for you, Naoki-san?”

The teen looked up to Korosensei, who was now next to her. She wasn’t surprised that he knew she had been eavesdropping all along, he wasn’t the entire world’s target for nothing either.

“No, I learned what I needed to know. See you later.”

The black-haired teen then left. Korosensei watched her go, more thoughtful. Had he not known she had been eavesdropping in the first place, he probably wouldn’t have spotted her in the shadows until she decided to move. The girl was able to mask her presence perfectly, and there was absolutely no killing intent to be sensed, so knowing when she was about to attack was near impossible. She obviously possessed great potential, both for assassination and learning, but she barely put it to use, and he was starting to run out of ideas.

_You were right, Yukimura-san. A difficult student indeed._

* * *

.

.

“Hey, Okuda.”

The bespectacled girl jumped at the voice, snapping her eyes to the source.

“Na- Naoki-san!”

The black-haired teen nodded in greeting, before sitting in front of her. The shy girl bit her lower lip, reporting her attention to her current work. She hadn’t expected Naoki Ame, of all people, to come and talk to her.

“So…” Ame leaned back in her seat. “I’ve heard what you said to Korosensei.”

“O- oh?”

“Yeah. Anyway, you’re pretty great when it comes to poisons and stuff like that, right? But as you said yourself, you can’t do it when it comes to surprise attacks and the likes. Which is kind of sad, considering poison is only effective when the target doesn’t know they took it.”

“Right…”

“But! I’ve got an idea.”

At that, Okuda finally dared look back to her. There was a glint in Ame’s eyes, and the shy girl couldn’t help but be curious.

* * *

.

.

When the next period started, Okuda wasted no time in handing him the poison she had created. The teacher drank it all… and a dark aura suddenly took over. Ame bit back a gasp as her instincts started screaming at her to run _run run—_

He suddenly melted, becoming a gray mass of liquid on the desk.

“HE MELTED!?” exclaimed the students, horrified.

“I actually had you make a tonic that would stimulate my cells and enhance my fluidity,” admitted the grayish mob. He suddenly vanished, only to reappear under Kataoka’s desk. “As a liquid, I can now fit into the tightest of spaces. What’s more, I’m still… as speedy as ever!”

He suddenly started jumping around the whole class, using the walls to propel himself all around. The startled students could do nothing but gape. How the hell were they supposed to kill him now?

“You- you tricked me, Korosensei!” accused Okuda.

Their teacher finally stopped moving, now holding to the top corner of the room and smirking down at her.

“Having the verbal aptitude to deceive others is a vital part of assassination, Okuda,” he replied. “Even the most potent of poisons is wasted if you offer it in such a naïve way that your target can take advantage of you. Nagisa-kun, how would you try to poison me?”

He dropped to the floor, slowly regaining his normal form and shape.

“Mmm… I’d probably mix it into a sweet drink you like, and then offer it to you as a special drink I made,” answered the boy.

“Yes! To deceive someone, you must understand their feelings and communicate with them creatively. Language is the key to an effective poisoning.” He rose back up, finally back to normal. “Your scientific talent will someday be useful to everyone. So, to explain things clearly to as many people as possible, I hope you’ll continue to develop the language skills to poison someone.”

“I- I will!” assured Okuda, smiling again. Then, she cringed. “Though, I still had one last made… Would you terribly mind trying it out?”

The students sweatdropped a little. If Okuda had another poison ready, shouldn’t she have used Korosensei’s lesson and tried to trick him into drinking it? But the octopus merely chuckled.

“Last one, then,” he agreed.

Beaming at him, the bespectacled girl extended another smaller vial with a pink, rather thick liquid. All the students watched in anticipation, wondering what kind of reaction it’d provoke this time around, and Ame bit back her smirk.

_Gotcha!_

Korosensei opened the vial, and was about to drink it… before he suddenly dropped it on the floor. The vial broke, and the poison instantly spread around, no longer drinkable.

The stunned silence was broken by Ame’s sudden exclamation. “Damn it!”

“Ame?” blinked Rio.

“I can’t believe he saw through it,” she groaned.

“Through what?” wondered Sugino.

“A- ano…” Everyone looked back to Okuda, who now harbored a sheepish smile. “A- Ame-san and I decided to try and use Korosensei’s only known weakness against him, so we melted anti-sensei’s bullets. Though, I guess it still wasn’t subtle enough…”

“Wonderfully delivered!” however assured their teacher, patting her head. “You used another form of language to deceive me: your honesty. You acted naturally and I was blinded by my expectations. Had it not been for the smell, then I would have fallen for it. Good job, the both of you!”

“Well, whatever.” Ame turned to Okuda and smiled a little. “Guess we’ll have to work on it, right?”

“R- right! Thank you for your assistance!”

“Nan, don’t sweat it.”

As Ame and Okuda started chatting about a few ways to better their creation, Rio couldn’t help but smile. Ever since she met Ame two years prior, the girl had been rather closed to the rest of the world. The only reason they ended up hanging out was because of their fantastic grades in English class. The girl was rather unapproachable for anyone who didn’t know her that well, and that was probably why she didn’t have any other friends. However, to see her slowly opening up to the rest of the class was a refreshing sight.

Thanks to this assassination, Ame was finally starting to see a world beyond herself, and it made Rio incredibly happy.

* * *

.

.

“Hurry! If we’re late, who knows what they’ll do to us this time!” prompted Isogai.

“Oh, yeah. Last time, we had to clean out the main campus’ flowerbeds,” recalled Okano.

“Man, that was rough,” grunted Maehara. “Their flowerbeds are _way_ too huge.”

“You slacked off the entire time!” protested the class rep.

“Ugh!” Okano groaned, irritated. “Why are we the only ones who gotta put up with this!?”

“Cause we’re the E-Class?”

The three students jumped a little at the voice, and Maehara snapped his eyes to Ame, who was casually leaning against the tree next to them.

“When’d you get there!?”

“I was here the whole time,” she shrugged. “I was waiting for you guys to show up.”

“I saw you leaving earlier so I thought you were going to skip,” pointed out Okano.

“I wanted to, but Korosensei forced me to go,” huffed the black-haired teen, crossing her arms behind her head. “Damn pain in the ass… I was planning on going ahead, but then I realized I didn’t know the way and decided to wait for everyone else. Though, is it really as bad as everyone’s saying?”

“You… never went to an assembly?” sweatdropped the flirt.

“Never saw the point in doing so. I wasn’t into any school clubs or extracurricular activities, and it’s just an overall waste of time,” she shrugged.

“You weren’t into any school clubs?” repeated the other girl, surprised. “Were you not interested?”

“Actually, I was. I wanted to join a few sports club and stuff like that,” admitted Ame. She shoved her hands in her pockets, her lips curling into a bitter smile. “We just didn’t have the means to pay for it. Still don’t.”

“Oh, so you’re poor like Isogai?” blinked Maehara.

Ame’s rubber knife slapped him behind the head. He winced at the hit, rubbing the sore spot, and she glared a little.

“Rude much? I’m not _poor_ , thank you very much. It’s just that it wasn’t a necessary expense and so I decided we shouldn’t waste our money on it,” she explained, starting to walk ahead. “The only reason I’m in this school is because of my parents, who paid my three years in advance and because I pay the extra expenses thanks to my job.”

“Wait, if your parents managed to pay off the three whole years in advance, then why couldn’t they afford you being in a club or something?” insisted the flirt, confused.

Ame sighed heavily when realizing he wasn’t dropping it. She hadn’t meant to actually talk to her classmates about that kind of stuff, she wasn’t _that_ close to them, but the words had slipped out before she could stop them and now it was too late. So, resigning herself, she stopped in her tracks and turned back to face the three, looking at Maehara straight in the eyes.

“Because dead people can’t exactly afford anything.”

Okano’s hands flew to her mouth and Isogai’s eyes widened, before he lowered his eyes. Maehara gaped at her for a few seconds, before understanding dawned on him and he cringed.

“Shit, I’m sorry—“

“Don’t be. It’s been a long, long time since it happened. Don’t really remember them, to be frank.” She then shook her head. “Can we just get a move on already? I thought we weren’t supposed to be late.”

“R- right.” The class rep was the first to snap out of his daze. “Let’s get going. We’ll wait for everyone else at the bottom of the mountain.”

Nodding in understanding, Ame turned her back to them and started moving ahead. Before any of them could think of adding anything, though, she vanished from sight.

“… she’s fast,” mumbled Maehara, still a little under shock.

“You need to learn to keep your mouth shut,” then deadpanned Isogai.

“How could I have known!?” protested the flirt.

The poor boy simply sighed, shaking his head. He’d check up on the girl later, to make sure everything was fine. For now, though, they’d all have to focus on getting to the bottom of that damn mountain first.

* * *

.

.

Ame sweatdropped heavily as she watched her classmates reach the main campus one after the other. They all looked pretty exhausted, most dropping to the ground in relief, and she couldn’t help but wonder how they managed to get to the top each morning without dying on the way.

“That- that sucked…” grunted Okajima.

The girl made a face when noticing the snakes still wrapped around the boy’s arms and torso.

“Do you… want me to take them off?” she proposed.

“Urgh…”

Taking that as a ‘yes’, she wasted no time in gently pulling the snakes off. There were four of them, but she had learned how to handle them thanks to Hana, who often used her as an assistant when she worked on creating new poisons. So, easily pulling them off the poor boy, she then walked to the edge of the campus and let them return into the forest.

_Poor guys were even more scared than Okajima…_

“You- you’re really something else, Ame-chan,” gasped Kayano, bent over. “You didn’t even break a sweat!”

“I’m used to this kind of stuff,” shrugged the girl. “Anyway, are you okay? You look like you’re about to pass out.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” assured the green-haired girl, chuckling weakly. “Just- just needed a break.”

“If you’re sure…”

Ame trailed off as, in the distance near the fence separating the main campus from the street, a car suddenly stopped. Three men stepped out of it and started advancing, only stopping once they reached the fence.

They were eyeing their class. Looking. _Searching_.

 _That’s the guy I stole the drug from_ , recognized the girl, her breath catching in her throat. _He saw my uniform. He knows I go to school here. Is he going to check all of the girls?_

Subtly, she pulled out the sound enhancer from her pocket and put it in her ear, before activating it. It took the form of an earring, but it really was a way for the wearer to hear anything in a distance of up to thirty meters, depending on how it was adjusted.

“—here.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, it was that uniform from those elite brats.”

“Did you see her face?”

“More or less. Long black or brown hair, I don’t really remember—“

“That’s not exactly helping our case here, man. There are a lot of girls with black hair, ya know?”

“Well, at least we know where to begin. Look, there are already a bunch of them over here. Think it’s one of them?”

“Maybe. I can’t really see from that far, but if they’re going inside the building, then we’ll get a better view—“

She turned it off as all of the students started gathering to go and rank in the gym for the assembly. They’d have to walk by the three when going in, and she had no doubt the guy would recognize her. She needed something to help pass unnoticed.

_Something… or someone._

Not wasting any more time, the teen went to the red-haired boy. She was surprised he wasn’t ditching the assembly, but then remembered he had received the same warning from Korosensei that she did. She grabbed his arm and “tripped”. He instantly helped her back to her feet, frowning.

“Ame, what—“

“Three guys at the fence looking for me,” she resumed quickly. “Help me inside.”

He simply nodded, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she started faking exhaustion. Since he was taller, she was effectively hidden from view as they walked by the three, who kept looking at each girl of the group in wonder. As soon as Ame stepped through the door, she exhaled in relief and finally let the boy go.

“Thanks, Karma.”

“Sure thing. Though, are you in trouble?” He smirked a little at that. “I can take care of them if you want.”

“Yeah, no, really not,” snorted the girl, running a hand through her hair. “They don’t know it’s _me_ per se, anyway. Just couldn’t risk them recognizing me.”

“What kind of mess have you gotten into, to have rough-looking guys like them looking for you?” he mused.

“My kind of mess. Please don’t mention it to anyone?”

He thought it over for a moment, before smirking again. “Depends how much you’re ready to pay for my silence.”

“I’ll get you a surprise.”

“That’s not saying much.”

“Oh, trust me: you’ll love it.”

“… fine. I want it by the end of the week, though.”

“You’ll have it tomorrow.”

They shook hands to seal the deal, before finally joining the rest of the class in the ranks. A little after, students started filling in. Ame completely ignored the mocking looks and the jeers directed their way, too focused on the real problem at hands.

_They don’t know I’m the one they’re looking for. All they know is that I’m a girl, that I’m in Kunugigaoka, and they don’t know whether I have long black or long brown hair. That means they’ll probably start following whoever fits the description. In our class, only Kanzaki, Kataoka, Hara, Yada and I fit the bill._

_That means… those girls are potential targets._

It didn’t sit well with Ame. It didn’t sit well at all. She started mulling over the situation, not noticing as the assembly began. She was deep in thoughts, weighting her options. In case something did happen, she needed a way to get to them quickly. Either that or she revealed herself, thus freeing the others from doubts.

_What do I do—_

“Essentially, you are the cream of the crop—this nation’s chosen elite!” For some reason, Ame was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts. “I, your school dean, can vouch for that! But, if you’re not careful… you could end up like certain other good-for-nothings.”

Ame stiffened when realizing he was looking at the E-Class, and she glared at the man with all the anger she could muster. Around them, the other students started laughing.

_This is… This is so…_

“Now, now. We mustn’t laugh at their expense. I suppose my comment was out of line.”

_You think!?_

He kept on talking mindlessly after that, but Ame couldn’t stop glaring. At some point, the man must have finally realized something was wrong, for his eyes started darting nervously around the room. Finally, they met Ame’s, and his words died on his lips as a nervous sweat broke out on his forehead. Silence ensued, during which no one could understand what was happening to the dead. No one could see who he was staring at.

“Ame!” whispered Rio, alarmed. “Ame, knock it off!”

“… tche.”

She finally averted her gaze, glaring at the wall behind the man instead. Instantly, the guy let out a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Loosening his collar, he apologized for the interruption and continued his speech. Rio made big eyes at her friend, and a faint blush rose to Ame’s cheeks as she lowered her eyes, now a little embarrassed.

“What was that about?”

“Sorry! It’s just…” There was a bitter taste in the back of her throat. “It was _humiliating_.”

“… I know. Just… bear with it, okay?”

The black-haired girl sighed but nodded in agreement. In the end, drawing attention wouldn’t do them any good. After a few more minutes of unnecessary blabber, the dean finally left the stage to the student council.

“Ne, Ame…”

The teen glanced to the blonde, who grinned a little and pulled out her knife sheaths. Ame blinked when realizing it was decorated, before grabbing it and roughly whacking Rio behind the head.

“Oi!”

“Are you _crazy_?” protested the teen. “We’re not allowed to talk about the assassination, remember? Don’t go pulling your knife around, else there’ll be questions!”

“Aw! But look at mine!” Kurahashi suddenly turned around, showing off her own. “They’re cute, aren’t they?”

Without warning, Karasuma suddenly appeared before them. He scolded the girls for so recklessly exposing the secret of the E-Class, while Ame merely facepalmed at her classmates’ idiocy. Had they no sense of subtlety?

A little after, Irina showed up. By now, the attention of most of the students was directed at both her and Karasuma, and Ame couldn’t help but feel a little smug at the envious looks they were now getting. Maybe they were the End Class, but at least they weren’t robots like the rest of them, and they had _awesome_ teachers. That had to count for something, right?

“All right!” suddenly exclaimed the student council representative on stage, drawing back everyone’s attention. “The student council events are explained on the handouts you’ve just been given.”

 _What_? Ame looked around, confused. _What handouts?_

“Excuse me, sir!” called Isogai, at the very front of the line. “The E-Class didn’t get any handouts!”

“Uh? You didn’t get any?” The boy straightened, a weird smile on his lips. “Now that’s strange… I’m sorry! It seems we forgot to make some for 3-E! I guess you’ll just have to memorize it all before you leave!” At that, all of the students surrounding them started laughing again. “In fact, you and your classmates could stand to sharpen your memory anyway!”

It was humiliating. It was angering. Frankly, the girl couldn’t have cared less about the students mocking and taunting her. She knew what she was worth and she knew that, in the big scheme of things, they were nothing more than dirt under her shoes. However, knowing they were mocking her classmates and, most of all, knowing how it affected them…

Needless to say, Ame was pissed.

_That damn little cockroach…_

She pulled out her knife, about to chuck it at the guy’s head. Panicking, Rio instantly tried to hold her hand down.

“No! Don’t!”

“Let me at him—“

There was a violent gust of wind, making the two froze in place. Then, blinking a few times, they realized they were now holding handouts.

“What—“

“Oh, would you look at that!” At the familiar voice, all of the students snapped their heads to where the teachers were standing, only to find a disguises Korosensei now spinning a pencil between his gloved tentacles. “Everyone has a handwritten copy now, it would seem. Isn’t that right, Isogai-kun?”

“Aa,” nodded the boy without missing a beat. He looked up at the student council representative. “Nevermind, we got our handouts. Please continue, sir!”

“What? No- no way! How!?” protested the guy, forgetting about the mike before him for a second. “Hey, now! Who killed our fun? Err, I mean… Ahem! Let us continue! Let’s take a look at the upcoming student council schedule.”

As he kept on talking, though, none of the students were really paying attention. The teachers from the E-Class were now acting rather weirdly. The big, wriggly guy was avoiding the attacks of the female bombshell, who was apparently trying to stab him, and then the other cool guy forced her to drop the weapon and forcefully lead her out of the gym. To all of the students, it really was confusing. To the E-Class, though, it was hilarious.

“That’s Bitch-sensei for you!” mused Maehara.

At that, the rest of the class started laughing, ignoring the dumbstruck looks they were getting from the rest of the students present.

The E-Class wasn’t supposed to be laughing.

The E-Class wasn’t supposed to be happy.

The E-Class was supposed to be miserable and sad and—

 _Fuck off,_ snorted internally Ame. _This isn’t just the End Class now. This is our assassination classroom, and no one can take that away from us._

* * *

.

.

“Hey, Usagi?”

**“What is it?”**

“Do you think you can have twelve trackers ready in the next hour?”

**“Twelve!? Are you tracking down your whole class or something?”**

“More like half of it. Just some precautions. So, think you can do it?”

**“Who do you take me for? ‘Course I can.”**

“I’ll come to pick them up once school’s over, then. Thanks. Oh, and can you get me a special kit too?”

**“A special kit? You mean the one you were using when you first started working with us?”**

“Yeah, that one.”

**“I guess. What do you need that kit for, though?”**

“A gift. Don’t worry about it. You can take the money directly from my account.”

**“Man, you sure get weird gifts for your friends. Anyway, everything will be ready in the hour. I’ll even give you a special discount. Aren’t I the best?”**

“That you are. Thanks, Usagi. See you later.”

**“Later!”**

Ame hung up, feeling a little lighter on her feet. She had decided to put trackers on all of the girls in her class until she found a more suitable solution. Of course, she couldn’t just put them there, she’d have to be subtle again, but she’d figure something out. It would have to do for the time being. Reassured, she then stepped out of the shadows in which she had been hiding. She hadn’t wanted to risk having anyone eavesdropping, after all.

“Ooh? Who do we have here? An E-Class loser?”

Ame bit back a groan. _Really?_

Not wanting to deal with them, she simply kept on walking. However, she barely made a few steps before a hand fell on her shoulder and stopped her in her tracks. She shot a glare at the boy holding her in place.

“Let go.”

“What kind of tone is that, girl?” grimaced the boy.

“The kind of tone I use on people who annoy me, big-nose,” she retorted

“What did you just say!?“

“Sorry. I thought we were just stating the obvious,” she deadpanned.

“Ah!” Another one suddenly showed up and slung an arm around her shoulders as he offered a flirtatious smile. “She got you on this one, Seo. A beautiful gem with a sharp wit, aren’t you?”

Growing more and more annoyed, she roughly shoved his arm off of her.

“Look, I don’t know who you guys are, so stop acting like that. It’s creepy.”

“You don’t know who we are?” Ame cursed as a third one suddenly showed up. He was wearing glasses, and looked… rather disgusting, to be honest. “Koyama Natsuhiko.”

“Seo Tomoya,” added the first one.

“I’m Sakakibara Ren,” concluded the flirt, taking her hand in his. “We are the top students of the A-Class. And you are?”

“Not interested, from the End Class. You sure you want to hang around much longer? I might bite,” she warned flatly, pulling away.

But the boy simply laughed. “Truly spirited! But won’t you even give me a name?”

“No. Have a nice day.”

And on that note, she spun on her heels and left. The three boys watched her go for a moment before a smirk stretched on Sakakibara’s lips.

“What a unique little flower…”

“More like a cactus,” snorted Seo, still angry about her earlier comment.

“I’d rather compare her to a rose. A rural beauty, with dangerous thorns…”

“You guys are weird,” simply stated Koyama, pushing his glasses up his nose.

At that, the other two shrugged. As themselves started heading back inside, though, Sakakibara couldn’t help but wonder if Asano would help him find out the girl’s name.

* * *

.

.

Ame quickly dropped by Headquarters to grab what she needed before heading back home. After greeting her grandmother and the kids and eating a quick dinner, she locked herself into her room to get started on her work.

* * *

It took her the whole night, but Ame was done and satisfied. It’s thus with a little bounce in her step that she returned to school that day, and early too. The only reason she wasn’t dropping asleep in the middle of the street was because of the two coffee she ingurgitated that morning and also the mild adrenaline running through her veins as she ran from one rooftop to the other to get to school faster without risking running into one of the gang’s members.

When she arrived at school, it was empty. Without a noise, she simply went to sit at her place and leaned back in her seat. Maybe she’d be able to get a power nap or something…

* * *

.

.

Something hit her face. Bolting upright, it took her a few seconds to notice Rio, who was bent over in laughter, and Karma, who was smirking lazily her way with an eraser in his hands.

“’Morning, sleepy head!” greeted the blonde.

“Rio…? Where the hell do you guys come from?” wondered the teen, confused.

“You’ve been sleeping for a while, Ame,” chuckled the red-haired boy. “But I was impatient and couldn’t wait for you to wake up.”

“Impatient? What for?”

“Why, for my surprise, of course.”

 _Oh, right…_ She grabbed the kit from her bag, before handing it over. He took it, obviously curious, and opened it. It was the size of a pencil case, but it was full to the brim with different kinds of equipment.

“That’s for eavesdropping.” She pointed at the sound enhancer. “You can record conversations with that pencil. That’s a portative camera, and those contacts allow you to read heat signatures. Also, you’ve got some stuff for pranks and things like that. Oh, and you’ve got a mini-Taser too.”

“That… Where did you even get this?” he wondered, stunned.

“I’ve got connections. So, are you happy or not?”

“Happy?” A devilish smirk stretched his lips. “My dear, I say we should make deals like this more often.”

As he started giggling like the devil himself, the teen slowly backed away. Maybe getting that kit for Karma, of all people, hadn’t been such a wise decision after all. But! A deal was a deal, and she’d be damned before breaking one.

* * *

.

.

Once lunchtime began, Ame quickly gathered all of the girls around her desk. The twelve of them were exchanging confused glances but were waiting for her to start, while the boys tried to spy from afar.

“So! I know I haven’t really talked to any of you guys before, but I thought that maybe starting anew would help us better our relationships!” she informed, way too cheerfully for it to be natural. She then emptied her bag on her desk. “As a token of my faith, please take one each. I _insist_.”

Frankly, anyone knowing Ame would have been creeped out by her attitude. However, all of their attention was now on the small key-chains lying on the girl’s desk. They were all really pretty, decorated with small stones and some had glitters and others were shaped like animals…

“They’re so cute!” beamed Kurahashi, picking up the butterfly one. “Thank you so much, Ame-chan!”

“Oh, look at this one!” exclaimed Kayano, smiling happily at the frog one.

“So cool!” gasped Fuwa, picking up the one in form of a magnifying glass.

Ame wasn’t stupid. She had taken a good part of the night checking up the personal information about the girls, making one for each that would suit their tastes better. It was a safe way to ensure they’d keep them. Plus, the key-chains would more than likely be either used as actual key-chains, or they could put on their bags for decorations. Either way, it assured Ame that she’d be able to find them rather easily if something went wrong.

“Wow. That’s… so not you, Ame,” sweatdropped Rio, however picking up the one in form of a pizza slice. “Why are you really doing this?”

“I put a tracker in each of them so that I’d be able to stalk you guys,” deadpanned Ame.

“You so would.” But the blonde seemed satisfied with the creative excuse, and didn’t insist any longer.

The rest of the girls quickly chose their key-chains, thanking Ame for her consideration, and started chatting together. Now that all of the girls were actually together, they started really talking, and a few plans started popping up, like going to the mall or the cinema.

“Hey, what about us?” then whined Maehara. “Don’t we get cool key-chains too?”

“No.”

He slumped over his desk in defeat while Isogai chuckled nervously, patting his shoulder in comfort. While the rest of the boys started complaining about favoritism, Ame simply closed her eyes and fell asleep once more.

For now, her work was done.


	7. Seventh Period: Running Away Time

“Well then, class… Shall we begin?”

Ame exchanged a confused glance with Rio. _Begin what?_

“Midterms time has rolled around!” announced their teacher. He was moving so fast it left afterimages of him. “And that’s why this period will be spent in high-speed enhanced test studying!”

Suddenly, one of the afterimages appeared before the orange-eyed girl. Startled, she glanced around the class, only to see a clone of Korosensei standing before each student, books in his tentacles and bandanas on his forehead.

“My doubles can work with you one-on-one to drill you on each of your worst subjects! Now, let’s get started!” he exclaimed cheerfully.

Ame scowled when realizing he would have her get started on math. At the same time, though, her phone buzzed, and her eyes lit up a little.

_Freedom!_

She “dropped” her pencil. While bending down to pick it up, she shot a look at Karma, who smirked and nodded. Without warning, he shoved his knife into the double’s face before him, thus disrupting the afterimages and effectively distracting their teacher. She was about to jump out of the window, already savoring her victory, when a tentacle suddenly wrapped itself around her waist and forced her to sit back in her seat.

“I win this round, Naoki-san! Now, let’s get started our your math…”

Cursing under her breath, she then decided to try a little. In the end, she couldn’t escape it, so maybe she’d try not to fail the midterms, for once.

* * *

.

.

“I’m gonna die…”

Ame’s head was throbbing painfully.

_So many numbers…_

“There, there,” chuckled Rio, patting her head in comfort. “At least it’s not as bad as me and civics, right?”

“You wanna bet?”

“You know, I could help you if you want,” proposed Karma, stopping by her desk. “Math _is_ my strength.”

“Thanks, but no thanks,” snorted Ame, getting up. “It’s not like I care about the midterms anyway.”

“You probably _should_ start working a little more on your grades, though,” then pointed out the blonde, frowning a little. “I know you’re rather laid back when it comes to school, but we’ve got entrance exams this year.”

“Not like I need them!” scoffed the black-haired girl. “I’ve already got a job, remember? A job I like, that pays well, and is awesome too.”

“Mind clueing us in? You never _did_ tell me what your job is,” pointed out Karma, crossing his arms behind his head.

“Ugh, don’t bother,” grunted Rio, rising up. “She’s had that damn job since we started school and she never told me anything about it other than she likes it, that the money’s good and that it’s cool.”

“It’s because I’m a secret agent and a super spy, Rio. I can’t go yelling it on the roofs,” deadpanned Ame.

“With how you act, I wouldn’t put it past you,” snorted her friend. “Though if you ever find a hot English man on one of your secret missions, do put us in touch, okay? I’m counting on you.”

“I can’t promise he’ll be English, but I’m sure I can manage to find you a hot guy.” She then offered a smirk to Karma. “I can find one for you too, you know?”

He shuddered a little, shaking his head. “No way! I’m into girls, through and through!”

“You won’t know until you’ve tried, though.”

As he groaned in horror and Rio laughed at his expense, Ame let out a small sigh of relief. Diverting their attention had been easier than she thought—

“Though seriously, Ame. One day, you’ll have to tell me what that job of yours is.”

 _Nevermind_.

“One day,” relented the teen. “Maybe.”

_Never. Not happening._

* * *

_._

_._

_A few minutes later_

“As Principal, I must consider what’s in store next year and beyond, should the Earth survive,” stated Asano Gakuho. “In other words, if someone _does_ happen to kill you, what is this school’s future? Put frankly… we need the E-Class to remain as it is.”

“… As it is?” echoed Korosensei, more serious. “You mean, with rock-bottom grades and treatment, like now?”

“Yes. Are you familiar with the worker ant principle?” then asked the Principal. “In a group, twenty percent will be lazy, twenty percent will work hard, and the remaining sixty percent will be average. My goal is a group with five percent slackers and ninety-five percent hard workers. _I don’t want to be like the E-Class_ or _I don’t want to be in the E-Class_ … With ninety-five percent of students thus determined, my ideal ratio is attainable.”

“I see. How logical. Then the five percent in the E-Class must be kept weak and pitiful,” understood the yellow creature.

“I received a complaint from the D-Class teacher today,” replied his boss. “A student from E-Class glared at one of my students and threatened to kill him, is what he said. Now, I’m sure the glare is part and parcel of the whole assassination thing, and that’s fine. The problem lies in a student with rock-bottom grades defying a regular one. Under my policies, that cannot stand. So please, tell that student in no uncertain terms to control himself.” On that note, the Principal started heading for the door. He suddenly stopped. “Oh, and—Korosensei?... You have one second. Solve this!”

The man threw a metal puzzle at him, and Korosensei instantly freaked out. After one last taunt, the Principal then truly left. As soon as the door closed behind him, Korosensei stopped moving, now lying on the floor.

“The Principal of Kunugigaoka High School, Asano Gakuho,” Karasuma read in a newspaper. “A shrewd manager who, in its first ten years, made this school one of the nation’s bests.” He sighed heavily. “There’s no escaping the structure he’s built here. Not even for you.”

Korosensei lied down for another second before the metal puzzle now trapping his tentacles broke. Then, slowly, he rose back up.

“What are your thoughts on the matter?” he then asked blankly. “Naoki-san?”

“Wow, am I really that predictable now?”

Karasuma and Irina stiffened, their eyes snapping to the ceiling. None other than Ame was casually sitting on one of the wooden beams supporting the roof.

“How’d you get there!?” gasped the blonde, eyes wide.

“I climbed through the window.”

“That’s—“

“So, what do you think, Naoki-san?” repeated Korosensei.

The teen looked down on him, before sighing and jumping from her perch. She landed on her feet, before crossing her arms over her chest with a small scowl.

“His policies suck. I understand where he’s coming from, but he could totally reach a ration of a hundred if he worked out a healthy, competitive system instead of one based on a superiority complex.” Annoyed, she ran a hand through her hair. “That’s why I hate this school. Teachers don’t give a rat’s ass about the students, they’re only looking out for their reputation and their paychecks.” She then glanced at the three teachers in the room. “Not you, of course. Korosensei, Karasuma-san, and Bitch-sensei are different. Yukimura-sensei was different too, so it’s really a shame that she’s gone now.”

At her remark, Korosensei visibly stiffened. She narrowed her eyes a little at that, tucking the reaction in the back of her mind to analyze later.

“Anyway, I think you should stand up a little straighter, Korosensei,” then remarked the teen, heading out. “He may be your boss, but he’s an absolute asshole too. Don’t let that kind of people walk all over you, even less when it comes to your teaching. A little more and one would have thought you were ashamed of the E-Class.”

“Of course not!” He finally really reacted. “I am extremely proud of the E-Class!”

“Then prove it. Prove it to that damn Principal. I don’t know how you’ll do it, but I’m sure you’ll find something,” shrugged the girl, stepping out of the room. “Anyway, see ya tomorrow, senseis.”

The door slid shut behind her. After a few seconds, Irina huffed angrily while crossing her arms over her chest.

“This girl is starting to freak me out! How did she get up there without any of us noticing?”

“Naoki-san is extremely skilled when it comes to becoming invisible,” replied Korosensei. “If you start paying attention, you’ll start noticing little things that a normal person shouldn’t be able to do. Like how she walks without making a sound.”

“We already know she’s got skills above average when it comes to assassination—“

“Not just assassination, Karasuma-san,” the creature cut him off, shaking his head. “I do believe she’s more well-versed into information gathering. Though, where she learned those skills is still beyond my comprehension.”

“Do you think she’s actually an assassin undercover?” proposed Irina, eyes narrowed. “It wouldn’t be the first time the government employed such measures to get rid of certain threats.”

“No. She was already a student here before I arrived,” pointed out the octopus. “And for all her skills, she does not possess the aura of a killer. The scent of blood always follows an assassin. You would know it better than most, Irina-sensei.”

At the remark, the woman bit her lower lip, lowering her eyes. It was true that, even though the kid creeped her out with her ninja-like abilities, there was no bloodlust or killing intent to be sensed whenever she was around. Whether she was good at hiding those or simply didn’t have them was another matter, though.

“Anyhow, I do believe Naoki-san had a point,” then chuckled Korosensei, a little darkly. “I shall take my leave, now. I have some special tests to prepare for tomorrow.”

He vanished using his Mach 20 speed. The other two teachers stared at the spot where he had just been standing for a few seconds before Karasuma sighed and turned to the woman.

“Found anything?”

“No, nothing. There’s not even a whisper of a gang with such a symbol existing,” answered the pro assassin, twirling her hair between her finger. “Which is practically impossible, considering all gangs leave _some_ kind of trail.”

“Then maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe it really is a family heirloom.”

“But I couldn’t even take it off! When I pulled on her ring, it stayed _stuck_ , as if it was part of her finger itself!”

“Irina, you found nothing. Yes, her skillset is… unusual, for a fifteen-year-old girl, but there are many exceptional students in this class. We should focus on our jobs as teachers for now,” proposed Karasuma. “If whatever she is up to becomes problematic, then we will handle it with a more direct approach.”

“… fine. Though I better not find her hiding under my desk or I _swear_ I’ll stab someone. Probably her.”

* * *

.

.

“Good morning, class. Today, I’ve tried making even more of me!”

Ame facepalmed when seeing this. When she had told him the day before to stand up for himself and prove to the Principal the worth of the E-Class as their teacher, she hadn’t meant for him to actually put everything on their backs.

_I mean, I understand where he’s coming from. If the E-Class students score in, like, the top fifty, then it’ll prove that his teaching methods are the best or whatever. But I didn’t mean for him to give us even more work! It was more something along the lines of: tell that asshole what’s on your mind and show him that you’re a good teacher and that his structure sucks!_

_I guess I should have made myself clearer._

In the end, though, there was no escaping it. So, resigning herself to her fate, she started working on her math once more.

* * *

.

.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Korosensei instantly dropped on his desk in exhaustion, panting heavily. The students gathered around, amused and confused at the same time.

“You know, he does look pretty beat.”

“Maybe now’s our chance!”

“Why’s he teaching this hard anyway?

“Niryufufufu! All to get your test scores up!” replied the octopus. “If that happens… Then my students will look at me with respect and with no longer fearing of being killed, I’ll be rolling in good fortune!”

Ame rolled her eyes as his face turned pink. She knew the real reason behind why he was suddenly acting like that and didn’t really understand why he didn’t simply tell the other students.

“Well, the whole studying part is fine and all…” remarked Mimura.

“Yeah, but if we assassinate him, we get ten billion yen,” completed Yada.

“And with ten billion, you don’t need good grades to live the good life!” mused Rio.

“Is- is that what you think!?” gasped Korosensei.

“We’re the End Class, Korosensei,” pointed out Okajima.

“Assassination is way more accessible to us than any exam,” added Fuwa.

At that, the rest of the students nodded in agreement. None of them were really expecting to pass the midterm, and everyone was more or less betting everything on the assassination.

Ame could tell it wasn’t the right answer, though.

“Ah. I see how it is.” Korosensei’s tone was somewhat somber now, as he slowly rose up to look down at them. “You… don’t have what it takes, to be assassins.” His face suddenly turned purple, with a big X on it. “Out into the schoolyard, all of you!”

Not really understanding what was going on, the students however obeyed and slowly headed outside. When she stepped out, Ame’s eyes landed on the dark clouds that had started gathering above them.

_I like rain…_

Korosensei was now standing in the middle of the field, farther away from them. The students were exchanging confused whispers, unsure of what to make of his sudden bad mood.

“One good thing about the E-Class system is its built-in remedial process,” then stated their teacher. “By scoring in the top fifty of 186 students on periodic exams and receiving permission from their former teacher to return, they can leave this outcast E-Class. However, it’s too difficult to meet these conditions given their poor grades in this inferior academic environment. Most E-Class students, being made to feel remediation is far out of reach, face intense discrimination.”

“Korosensei, where are you going with this?” wondered Ame, scratching the back of her head.

“Irina-sensei!” suddenly called the creature. The woman had just joined them, as confused at the rest of them. “Let me ask you something as a professional assassin.”

“… What is it?”

“When you’re on a job, do you have one single plan prepared?”

The woman blinked, surprised by the question, before growing serious.

“No. It’s not often that my main plan goes as expected. Making more detailed back-up plans in preparation for any contingencies is Assassination 101.”

“And you, Karasuma-san. When you teach knife skills, is the first strike the _only_ important one?” then asked Korosensei.

“The first strike is, of course, the most important, but your next move matters, too,” answered the agent. “Against a powerful foe, your first blow is likely to be dodged, so the precision with which you can land your second and third blows can decide the fight.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Look, what are you getting at?” finally asked Maehara, exasperated.

The yellow creature suddenly started spinning in place at Mach 20 speed, instantly making a cloud of dust and dirt rise around him.

“As your teachers have said, having a trusty second step is what makes for a confident assassin. But what about you?” He started gaining even more speed. “ _We’ve got assassination, and that’s enough_ , is what you say, and down go your academic goals. You’re just trying not to face the reason for your inferiority complex. What if I got away from this classroom?” The wind picked up, making a few students stagger back and others yelp in fright. “If another killer managed to do me in? Without the assassination you rely on, all you’re left with is good old E-Class inferiority. A word of advice from me to you as you walk that fine line: those who can’t wield a second blade aren’t qualified to be assassins!”

Ame was forced to cover her eyes as a real tornado took over the field, blasting dirt and rocks around. Protecting her eyes from the sharp wind, she gritted her teeth in mild fright. She knew Korosensei couldn’t hurt them, but seeing him display his abilities like this always scared her.

_What the hell is he doing—_

Suddenly, everything stopped. The wind, the dust, everything. Slowly opening her eyes, the first thing Ame saw was the now clearer sky, slowly filling out of dark clouds as sunrays pierced through them.

“The yard was very uneven and full of weeds. I tidied it up,” announced Korosensei.

And then the dust finally cleared, revealing a real field, one fit for any sports and training, one that could give the one on the main campus a run for its money. Ame gasped in amazement.

“I am a super-creature capable of wiping out the Earth,” then stated the yellow teacher. “Flattening out this area here is a piece of cake. Listen carefully! If you can’t show me that trusty second blade, I’ll know there’s no assassin in this classroom worth taking me on, and I’ll flatten this entire campus before I go.”

“A- a second blade? When?” wondered Nagisa.

“Tomorrow, of course.” Everyone stiffened at that. “I want all of you in the top fifty after tomorrow’s midterms.”

“WHAT!?”

“I’ve already been developing your second blades. I don’t use the doltish teaching methods they do at the main campus. Wield those blades with all confidence!” ordered their teacher. “Succeed in your mission and hold your head high, smiling, unashamed. You are proud assassins—and proud members of the E-Class!”

Ame stared at him for a few seconds. Then, she scoffed and returned inside to go grab her things. School was over anyway, and she couldn’t wait to leave.

“A- Ame!?” called Rio, surprised to see her leave so quickly.

The teen didn’t bother answering, quickly going to grab her bag before escaping through one of the windows and running down the mountain as fast as she could.

* * *

_._

_._

_A second blade… uh?_

Sitting on a bench in a small park, Ame was now deep in thoughts. She hadn’t gone home yet, knowing her grandmother would ask her a million questions about her studies and her midterms. She wasn’t feeling up for disappointing her right now, to be frank. And what other than disappointment could she promise to her sweet grandmother, really? Ame hadn’t studied at all, she never did her homework, and she barely listened in class. Sure, having Korosensei as a teacher forced her to learn a lot, but it still wasn’t enough, and she knew she wouldn’t be in the top fifty the next day.

_Hell, amongst the dead-lasts is more likely._

Honestly… the girl didn’t know how to feel about it. Ever since she joined the Zodiac, her interest in school dropped until it went under zero, and even lower if possible. She knew it was important, but she already had a future guaranteed within the yakuza group. Why bother looking farther than that?

::

_“Those who can’t wield a second blade aren’t qualified to be assassins!”_

::

Korosensei’s words had struck a chord in her. What else had she planned for her future? What kind of a second blade did she possess?

 _None_.

There wasn’t any other future or any second blade. It had always been about the Zodiac and her own, selfish interests. But she _liked_ working with the group! They taught her so much and it was fun and always different… Okay, sure it could be dangerous at times and yeah, it wasn’t exactly moral work. It was still better than being a paper-pusher stuck behind a desk all day, though. Out on the field, smack in the middle of the action, that’s where she belonged! And she already possessed all the necessary skills for it. So, why work for another potential future in which she had no interest?

She liked English. It hadn’t been easy to learn, but Uma had been a very patient teacher and knew her personality well enough to teach her correctly. She enjoyed physical activities and sports because of the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment it brought her, and also because it helped her become _better_. But what about the rest? Civics weren’t half-bad, but not that interesting. Science and math were an absolute nightmare, she didn’t get them at all. And yeah, okay, maybe if she _actually_ tried, it’d be a little easier, but she didn’t _like_ it! Why should she do something she didn’t want to do?

 _But Korosensei said he’d leave if we didn’t_ all _make it into the top fifty…_

That was hopeless. It was too soon, too sudden, there was no way _all_ of the students of Class E could make it, and even less her: she was a failure through and through when it came to academic results.

_So… it’s over? We’re done with the assassination?_

But it left a taste of defeat on her tongue. A bitter, bitter taste, one she didn’t like at all. Knowing that amazing experience would come to end tomorrow—

_MOVE!_

Her heart missed a beat as her instincts suddenly screamed the arrival of danger, and she jumped off the bench, rolling in the dirt for a second before falling back on her feet. Adrenaline already pumping through her veins, her eyes landed on the threat she had sensed just in time.

A man.

A familiar man.

A familiar man _with a fucking baseball bat._

“Ya!” snarled the man who had just tried to bash her skull. “Ya damn brat, ya better pay me back the triple for what you’ve taken!”

“Gotta catch me first!”

And she took off. As she started running, though, she cursed herself. She had been avoiding those guys for the last few weeks. How could she have been so careless?

“Get her!”

“Over here!”

 _Wait, how many_ are _there!?_

She was about to reach the entrance of the park when two other guys blocked her path. Without halting her mad dash, she abruptly turned to the left, jumped on the small wall and climbed the whole way up, before jumping on the other side and safely landing on the sidewalk. She started running again.

_I’ve got to lead them away. I need to take cover where there are people._

There were numerous yells and footsteps now echoing behind her. She didn’t dare look back. It wasn’t the first time she was chased by an angry mob, and she knew to look behind always lead to a cliché I-tripped-on-air fail, and she never really liked clichés.

_Faster, girl, you can be faster!_

She reached the end of the street. Without hesitation, she crossed over. Many cars honked angrily as she swerved through the mass, barely avoiding being crushed under one. She jumped over a few more cars before reaching the other side, where she started running again.

“Fuck!”

“Stop her!”

“Get back here!”

She didn’t bother answering, simply focusing on escaping her tails. She was used to this kind of stuff, she knew she could do it, she just needed the right opportunity—

_There!_

Without hesitation, she disappeared through a mass of people. Passing through without bothering with apologies, she forced her way to the entrance of a small café and went in while slamming the doors. There was a moment of silence as she offered a sheepish smile to the startled customers, before subtly making her way the table the farther away from the door and the windows. After a few seconds, a waiter came to her table.

“Hello, how can I… help…”

Isogai stared at Ame, dumbfound.

Ame stared at Isogai, startled.

And then, loud exclamations from outside could be heard and she was snapped back to reality.

“I’m not here!” she exclaimed, a little pale.

“Wait, what—“

She slipped under the table. The boy gaped at her for a few seconds, before the doors slammed open, letting enter five men with rather antipathetic expressions. A few were holding baseball bats, too, and they were obviously here to cause some trouble.

“Okay, where’s the girl?” roughly demanded one of them.

 _They’re looking for Naoki-san?_ Isogai startled in understanding.

Now wasn’t the time for questions, though. Shaking off his shock, he walked up to them and offered the best waiter smile he could manage.

“Welcome! How can I help you today?” he greeted cheerfully.

“We’re looking for a girl. She… stole something from us,” grunted the closest one. “Saw her come in here.”

“I believe you’re the only people who came in for the last ten minutes, at least,” replied the boy, shaking his head. “And if you’re not going to order anything, then I’m afraid you will have to take your leave. You’re scaring our customers.”

The five men exchanged glances, before taking a last look around. When understanding they wouldn’t be able to search the whole café without causing a commotion, they finally left. The civilians present returned to their previous chatters, deciding not to get involved in the situation. Plus, if the charming Isogai decided to help the girl, then who were they to stop him?

The boy was quick returned to Ame’s table, where said teen slipped out from under it, settling back on the seat, and she offered him a grin.

“Thanks for that, Isogai. I hadn’t thought they saw me come in.”

“Are you okay, Naoki-san?” he frowned, worried. “Have they done anything—“

Her laugh cut him off. “Done anything? Nan, they couldn’t graze me even if they wanted to. Don’t worry about it, really.”

“If you say so… Do you want to order something?”

The black-haired girl stopped laughing, looking at him in genuine surprise. She hadn’t expected her class rep to be so… calm, about everything. She had just stormed in, chased by five dudes armed with baseball bats and metal bars, and he was asking her if she wanted to order something?

“… You know what? I think I’ll take you up on the offer. Do you have anything with strawberries?”

* * *

.

.

“Thanks again for the help, Isogai.”

“Of course. Don’t hesitate to come back if they come after you again,” proposed Isogai.

“You know, I think I’ll take you up on the offer,” chuckled Ame, heading for the door. “Anyway, I’ll try not to cause too much trouble. See you tomorrow!”

“W- wait! Naoki-san!”

She stopped, looking back to him, puzzled. Was she forgetting something? He bit his lower lip, obviously unsure about how to ask her whatever he wanted to ask. Then, he sighed heavily, before his eyes met hers, serious.

“Naoki-san… What will you do about tomorrow?”

_Will you work your hardest? Will you try to make it? Will you even bother showing up?_

Ame easily understood what he was really asking. Falling serious, she stared back, still not knowing the answer herself. Then, she let out a sigh while running a hand through her hair, a small scowl on her lips as she averted her eyes from his.

“Ugh, I guess I’ll do what I can. I do owe you one. So… yeah. Guess I’ll try my best. I can’t promise great results, but I can… I can promise that, at least.”

“… Thank you, Naoki-san.”

“Whatever.” On that note, she finally stepped out of the café. Before the door could close fully, though, she blocked it and looked back to the boy. “And Isogai? Call me Ame. We’re classmates, not strangers. ‘Night!”

He blinked a few times, startled. “G- good night!”

But she was already gone.

* * *

.

.

Ame ended up studying.

Like, _actually_ studying.

Acting as if all of the documents she had were files given to her for a mission, she memorized everything she could get her hands on. It wasn’t exactly effective, but it was better than nothing. Then, a little past midnight, she went to sleep.

 _Sleep_.

Ame didn’t do full nights, never really managed to. With her missions and her occupations, she didn’t have the time for it. So, going to bed so early was a first for her, and she had a hard time staying under the blankets. The next morning, though, she woke up more rested than she had been in a rather long while. Sure, there were some days where she completely went out of energy and crashed for numerous hours to make up for it, but it wasn’t the same. Then, on her way to school, she started memorizing again. She decided to focus on what she actually had a chance at, leaving math aside. Korosensei had drilled a lot of it into her head anyway, so she’d probably manage not to fail the exam, at least.

And, at last, she reached the school.

_Well._

_Guess it’s time to keep my promise._

* * *

.

.

Rio gaped at Ame as she took her place next to her for the first exam: math. Frankly, the blonde hadn’t expected her friend to show up at all that day, what with her lowering interest in school work. However, she didn’t have the time to question her, considering they were about to start. Though, as soon as they received the copies and the exam started, Ame froze in place. There were too many numbers on the paper, too many words, she had no idea where to start to try and make some sense of it all—

::

_“Don’t forget, Kitsune: panic is the mind killer.”_

::

Saru’s teachings made her frantic brain come to a halt. Then, she breathed in and out a few times, forcing herself to focus. After what, forgetting about the rest, she started working on the first question. As soon as her mind cleared, she almost instantly recognized it as one of the problems Yukimura had given her that one time. That problem had been one of the four Ame failed to complete. But… the girl knew how to solve it, now.

_Now it makes sense!_

She wrote down the answer and passed to the next one. Again, she focused on the question itself, trying to think back to all the lessons she never really bothered listening to. She finally wrote her answer and passed to the third one. After going through the same process, she reached question four… and blocked.

_What the hell is this!?_

She didn’t get it at all. There was no way to make sense of it. No matter how hard she tried, the question seemed like an infinite maze with no issues. Taking down the walls was impossible, and there was no hidden door. She was utterly lost, unable to find a way out.

_Fuck! I can’t remember what to do! This question is too big, I can’t focus! Where do I start? What do I do? I can’t remember anything!_

Around her, she could tell her fellow classmates were slowly starting to overcome it and, from the noise of their pens on the papers, she knew they were already much more advanced than she was.

_Think, think, think—_

::

_“Naoki-san. You focus so much on the problem that you fail to see its components. Your fear paralyzes you.”_

_“Tche. Fear? I’m not scared of anything, even less of numbers.”_

_“Then why can’t you even move your pencil?”_

_The orange-eyed girl stiffened at that, and Korosensei patted her head._

_“You need to get rid of the unnecessary information. Gather what you know, and work with the information you have to solve the problem. You know what to do when it comes to analyzing, don’t you? Put that skill to good use and analyze the problem: identify real information from false information. And_ solve _it.”_

::

The girl blinked a few times.

_Korosensei’s right. What am I scared of? I’m always boasting about how I’m better on the field, but it’s not that different when it’s on paper. Had Saru given me this problem in a mission, I would already have gotten over it._

_Get a goddamn grip, girl!_

So she started doing what she did best: she analyzed. She studied the problem, took it apart, tested different scenarios and outcomes... In a few minutes, she finally managed to find the answer, and she passed to the fifth question. Now that she knew how to tackle the problems, she felt like nothing could stop her anymore. So, she kept on answering each and every problem. And okay, maybe she didn’t have the right answer all of the time but at least she wasn’t leaving any case blank.

_I can do it. I can do it. I can do it—_

But then question eleven came up, and her hopes crashed.

_Game over._

* * *

.

.

Midterms were over, and the results came in at last.

Ame stared at the papers on her desk, unsure of how to feel about the situation at hands. She hadn’t really expected to make it, of course. She hadn’t worked for it until the night before the test, and she had resigned herself to failing way before the midterms even came up. However… she tried. Late, of course, but she tried. And, in a way, she had truly hoped she could make it after all. Maybe not in the top fifty, of course, but at least in the low hundreds.

_ Naoki Ame _

_ Overall score: 121 _

_ Ranked 184th of 186 _

_Dead last._

Of all the spots she thought she’d get, it wasn’t the last one. Because yes, it was technically the last one: the other two students behind her had missed the exams because one was sick and the other preferred dropping out over risking ending up in the E-Class.

Anyhow, she should have expected it and, normally, she wouldn’t have even cared. Hell, she would have laughed about it! But now… now, she only felt disappointed. Angry, a little hurt, and disappointed, because she had hoped. She had hoped, and failure had never tasted more bitter than in that very moment.

_Tche. Talk about keeping a promise._

She knew no one in the class actually made it into the top fifty. She knew everyone had failed, in a way. However, despite everything that was happening, all of the students of the E-Class _still_ managed to score higher. None were geniuses, but they _still_ worked and _still_ got _better_ than her. It shouldn’t be a surprise to her, considering she barely did any work, but now that she was actually _trying_ … Well, put bluntly, she felt like she was falling behind the group. For the first time, Ame felt like she was in the back instead of in the front. Yeah, sure, she probably was one of the best when it came to the assassination, but what did it mean to people who could be _both_ assassins and students?

_I’m just one. That’s the problem. I haven’t even been considering myself a student for a long while, now. I already thought I knew everything I had to know._

Ame didn’t like this feeling. Being dead last was an idea that never bothered her before but now… now, it did.

It bothered her.

It bothered her _a lot._

_I can’t keep going like this. If they could do it, why couldn’t I? I’ve got no interest, but that’s beyond the point now._

Her pride had taken a great blow. She always thought herself above everyone else but, saved for English and assassination, she had no skills whatsoever.

It wouldn’t do anymore.

_I’ve grown complacent. When I first joined the Zodiac, I didn’t know anything. I was the weakest member, but I learned and I grew and I became strong. I let my past accomplishments obscure my future’s potential. I let my strength cover up my weaknesses. I let my pride blind my judgment._

The teen clenched her fists on her papers, crumbling them. True, she had failed, but that failure lit a determined fire in her heart: she was going to catch up to everyone else, and then go straight ahead and leave them all in the dust.

_I swear I will._

* * *

.

.

The air in the classroom was somber, heavy. No one dared to utter a word as Korosensei stood at the front, his back turned to them. None of the students had confronted him ever since they received their rankings, and so none of them knew what was going on in his head now.

“… I take all responsibility,” he finally said, breaking the suffocating silence. “I seem to have underestimated the system at this school. I… can’t bear to face you.”

Ame lowered her head. He may have failed as their teacher, but she had failed as his student. In this story, she too was too blame. Hell, _everyone_ was to blame. Of course, Principal Asano was the worst, but still—

A knife suddenly flew above Ame’s head. Korosensei moved aside to avoid it, startled.

“Eh?”

“You sure?” then mused Karma, the one who had just thrown the weapon. The boy started advancing to the front of the class. “If you can’t face us, you can’t see us coming to kill you.”

“Karma-kun!” snapped their teacher, his face growing red. “I am very depressed right now, and—“

His annoyance instantly vanished as Karma dropped his exam results on his desk. Surprised, Korosensei picked them up, and his eyes widened at the sight of all the fantastic grades his student had gotten.

“Changing the questions didn’t matter to me,” then informed the red-haired boy, smiling.

Curious, all of the students went at the front to see better what kind of results he had gotten. Soon enough, disbelieving exclamations echoed.

“No way!”

“Whoa!”

“A hundred in math!?”

“With my grades, you taught me more than you had to,” explained Karma. “So, I could handle the questions even if they’d change their scope. Still, I won’t be leaving. Assassination is way more fun than going back to my old class. So, what’s the plan?” He then asked, somewhat tauntingly. “You gonna use our not all making it into the top fifty as an excuse to turn tail and run? You’re just afraid of being killed, that’s all.”

A vein popped on Korosensei’s forehead. Ame blinked when understanding what Karma was up to, before grinning a little.

“Why, Korosensei. You should have told us you were scared!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, is that it? You were afraid?” added Maehara.

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Right? Like _‘I’m scared and I want to run away’_!”

As more and more exclamations and taunts followed, more and more veins started appearing on Korosensei’s face. Then, he fully turned red.

“I am not running away!” he yelled.

“Ooh? Then what?” retorted Karma without missing a beat.

Their teacher instantly returned to his yellow color. “We’ll get revenge on them twofold in the end-of-term exams!”

At that… the rest of the students started laughing. Was it relief or excitement, Ame couldn’t really tell… but she found herself joining them others. In the end, they had all run into a wall with the midterms. However, she had learned her lesson, now, and she had learned it well. Great results only came to hard workers, and she’d be damned if she failed again.

_Now… Now, I’m aiming for the top!_


	8. Eighth Period: Mission Time

“As you know, next week is our two-night school trip to Kyoto. Not to put a damper on your enthusiasm, but you’re still on duty,” announced Karasuma.

“You mean we can assassinate him there?” wondered Okano.

“Precisely. Kyoto is far larger and more complex than this school, and you’ll be moving in groups that he’ll be following,” explained their teacher. “It’s an ideal location for snipers. The government has already arranged for sharpshooters to join you. If they succeed, they’ll share in the ten billion yen based on the degree of their contribution. Be sure to pick assassination-friendly tour routes.”

Ame snorted. _Assassination-friendly? Never thought I’d hear that one day._

She couldn’t say she wasn’t excited, though. Planning a large-scale mission like this was bound to be fun!

* * *

.

.

“So, wanna team up?”

“Sure.”

Rio and Ame bumped fists, exchanging grins.

“Oh, can we come with you?” then beamed Fuwa, turning to them. Hayami and Chiba were just behind her. “We need a bigger team.”

“Err, sure?” The black-haired teen shrugged. “We still need at least someone else, though.”

“Then would you mind if we joined your group?”

Okajima, Mimura, and Sugaya were now standing next to them.

Rio grinned at them. “I don’t see why not. Come on, let’s get started on the planning!”

The group of eight students settled around to form a circle, pulling out a few guidebooks and two maps. They then started checking out the activities offered and the different routes and options. A minute later or so, though, Korosensei suddenly reappeared in the classroom, holding numerous and extremely thick books with his tentacles.

“One for each of you!” he exclaimed cheerfully.

“What are they?” wondered Isogai.

“School trip guidebooks.”

Using his Mach 20 speed, he suddenly passed them to all of the students. Ame’s eyes widened as she almost fell out of her chair in surprise.

“That- that thing’s heavy!” she gasped.

“It’s like a dictionary!” protested Maehara.

“Every sightseeing spot illustrated, the top 100 souvenirs, and travel self-defense how-to’s from square one to practical use! I stayed up all night making them!” explained excitedly the octopus. “The first edition comes with a papercraft model of Kinkakuji!”

“You’re _way_ too much into this,” sweatdropped Ame.

The teacher kept on rambling about his creation, and the teen somehow managed to put it on her desk. It’d be a pain to bring home, but she couldn’t help but be curious about its contents.

“Ne, Ame?” She turned to Rio. “What do you think of this route?”

The black-haired girl glanced at the map, before shaking her head.

“No good. It’s a rather narrow street and extremely touristic, so it can get crowded pretty fast, and so the sniper won’t be able to get him.”

“Narrow?” blinked Fuwa, surprised. “How’d you know that?”

“Uh? I’ve been to Kyoto before. For—“ _A mission!_ “—work. It was fun, and I spent my day checking out the place.”

“That’s so cool!” exclaimed Okajima. “That means you already know good places, right?”

“Do you have a plan in mind?”

“What spot would be the best?”

The orange-eyed girl stared at her classmates, surprised. She hadn’t expected them to be so… open. Sure, she had kind of opened the door herself when she gave the girls those key-chains, but still. Without really noticing it, a small smile stretched on her lips.

_Maybe I’m still behind when it comes to academic stuff, but this… This, I can do._

“You see, there’s this place that’s just behind…”

* * *

.

.

Two days later, the group was still working on their plan when Ame’s phone rang. The girl blinked in wonder. With the excitement from the last few days, she had completely forgotten about the Zodiac. Like, _literally_ forgot about it. However, it had been a while since her last mission, so it was no wonder they finally called her. Ignoring her teammates’ inquisitive stares, she got up and went in the hallway, before picking up.

“Yo.”

**“Hey! We’ve got a mission. Nothing big, but I’m sure you’re feeling restless right now, so I’ve been saving it for you. Think you can make it or is your teacher around?”**

Ame bit her lower lip, hesitating for the first time in her life. Yeah, she had been growing rather restless, but planning the assassination had taken her mind off of it and, honestly, she was having fun right now.

**“Ame?”**

“Actually, Hana… It’s nice and all, but do you think… do you think someone else can take over?” She glanced back to her classmates, who had returned to the planning. “I’m rather busy right now.”

**“Sure…? Wow, never thought I’d see the day where you refused a mission.”**

That made the teen laugh. “Yeah, me neither.”

**“Well, it’s fine. Though, think you can come over to Headquarters later?”**

“Will do. See ya!”

**“Later.”**

She hung up, putting the phone back into her pocket. Then, she returned into the room and went to sit with the group. As she sat down, Rio lifted an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you leaving for your job? Korosensei isn’t around, so it’s your chance, you know?”

“I know, but I’m not going. I asked someone else to do it this time around,” shrugged the orange-eyed teen, picking up a guidebook.

“Eh!?” The blonde’s hand was suddenly on her forehead. “Are you okay? Are you sick?”

“R- Rio! Knock it off!”

“But you never refuse a job! You skip every time you get the chance! What’s wrong with you today?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me! I just…” She shook her head, looking away. “We’re in the middle of planning. It wouldn’t have been cool of me to just leave the work to you guys, even less since it was my idea in the first place.”

At that, the other students exchanged small smiles. After hanging out with the girl for two days, they had come to understand that she wasn’t just a girl who didn’t care about her grades. She was laid back, yes, but also hard-to-work when something actually interested her, like the assassination they were now working on.

 _You’re really changing, aren’t you, Ame?_ Rio chuckled internally, returning to her own work. _It’s good. It suits you._

* * *

.

.

“So, what did you want me here for?”

“Well, hello to you too.”

“I- Isana!”

Overjoyed, the teen propelled herself at the orange-haired woman. She caught the teen with a chuckle, not even flinching at the sudden added weight.

“How’re you, little fox?”

“I’m great, and you?” Hugging her tightly, Ame then released her, beaming. “It’s been months! I’m so happy you’re back!”

“I’ve been made aware of the situation,” replied the woman with a slight shrug. “I thought my skills could be put to better use here.”

Isana, codenamed Tora, was the only official spy in the group. The green-eyed woman was once part of the most elite government spying group of Japan. One day, she was sent on a suicide mission with the rest of said group, which had been organized by the government itself to try and get rid of them. She was the only one who made it out alive. After what, she joined the Zodiac and started using her skills to spy on different events and happenings all around the world, though mainly in America, to keep an eye on things and update the group on whatever was happening. She was also the one who got in contact with most of their clients.

Isana sat on the couch, and Ame instantly joined her, snuggling against the strong woman. The two of them didn’t see much of each other, what with the older member’s position, but Ame always liked her. When the group realized that Ame would never be able to muster enough strength to deal real, hurtful blows, Isana took it on herself to teach to Ame how to escape instead. Most of the moves Ame knew had been taught to her by the spy, and the teen would never be able to show how truly grateful she was for those lessons.

“Anyway, why did Hana ask me to come over?” then inquired the teen. “Does it have something to do with the situation?”

“Yes. Hi, Isana!”

“Hi, Hana.”

The two women fist-bumped, exchanging a grin. Then, Hana handed a paper to Ame, on which was the picture of a tall skinhead with a skull tattoo on his head.

“This is one of the dealers of the traitorous gang. After following the group’s pattern for a while, we have come to the conclusion that he will be heading to Kyoto the same time you’ll be going for your school-trip.”

“Want me to find him?”

“We’ve already put a tracker on him,” answered the red-haired woman, throwing the detector at the teen, who easily caught it. “Follow him and find where he gets the drug. Get pictures of any members he encounters, get some of the product if you can manage without putting yourself at risk so that we can confirm it’s the same drug, that kind of stuff.”

“Got it. I’ll do what I can, though I’ll probably be watched since we have to stay in groups,” warned the girl, tucking away the detector.

“Don’t go if there’s a risk you might be seen by your classmates or something. Your teachers are already suspicious enough as it is,” remarked Hana.

“I know, I know. I’ll be careful. Say, do you think you’ll be able to send me my pay while I’m there? I’d like to get some souvenirs for the kids.”

“Sure thing. I’ll tell Devit to take care of it.”

“Thanks!” Beaming, the teen hugged both women one more time, before heading for the exit. “Anyway, I gotta go. I’ve got a distraction to plan.”

“I’ll drop by to see the kids before leaving again!” promised Isana.

“They’ll love it! Thanks!”

A bounce in her step, Ame then left Headquarters. An assassination, a mission, and a school trip all into one?

_This is going to be fricking awesome!_

* * *

.

.

“Ame-nee?”

The black-haired teen turned to her door, where a blue-haired girl was standing with pencils and notebooks in her hands. The girl looked down, shy.

“I- I know you’re busy with school and stuff… But it’s been a while since we practiced English together, and- and I was wondering if- if…”

“Oh, Amaya.” Ame brought the girl in her arms, cursing herself internally. “Of course we can. My schoolwork can wait, don’t worry about it.”

“We- we can do it later—“

“Nonsense. I’m never too busy for you or the others, okay?” Ame ruffled her hair, before grabbing her notebooks and placing them over the homework she had been working on. “Come on, let’s get started. I needed a break anyway.”

“R- right!”

* * *

.

.

A few days passed by, and it was finally time for the school trip. Ame kissed goodbye to the kids and her grandmother, before making her way to the train station. When she arrived there, most of her classmates were already present, waiting impatiently to get started. She quickly made her way to her group, exchanging bump-fists with all of them. After a few more minutes, the students from other classes started arriving and getting on the train.

Sugaya sighed in envy. “Whoa… The A through D classes are riding first-class!”

“We’re the only ones in coach,” pointed out Rio with a resigned smile. “Like always.”

“Those are the rules at our school—and they were explained when you came here,” pointed out the D-Class teacher, who had overheard them.

An annoying guy from the D-Class popped his head out of the wagon. “Students with exceptional grades get priority use of school funds!” he taunted.

His friend appeared too. “Oh dear—is that the stench of poverty I smell?”

“More like the stench of morons. Though, if you can smell yourself, its usually a sign that you should probably take a shower,” deadpanned Ame.

The two boys gaped at her, startled, and the teacher glowered at her.

“That’s no way to speak—“

“No way ta speak ta whom? Bullies?” replied the black-haired girl, lifting an eyebrow in mocking wonder. “Then again, I guess that ya care more about yer paychecks than yer students despite being a teacher, so you’re obviously going ta side with them whatever I say.”

“Wh- what kind of tone is that?” gasped the man, scandalized. “I could have you taken off this trip at this very instant—“

“What for? For bein’ honest or for not lickin’ yer damn boots?”

Rio then placed a hand on her shoulder, alarmed. “Ame, stop it! If you can’t come, then—“

“Relax. Everything’s under control,” murmured the orange-eyed teen.

“Uh?”

“Do pardon me. Greetings, students!” As if on cue, Irina passed by the three douchebags and reached their group.

The teacher completely forgot about Ame’s behavior, more focused on the ample chest of the woman that had just arrived. The two students were too stunned to utter a word. For the E-Class, though, it was another story. They were way too used to the pro assassin’s presence by now to fall for her charms.

“Bitch-sensei, what’s with the Hollywood starlet look?” wondered Maehara.

Irina simply chuckled, taking off her sunglasses. “It’s a given for any assassin who uses her womanly wiles. A good woman doesn’t neglect fashion just because she’s traveling—“

“You stick out like a sore thumb. Go change.” Karasuma suddenly showed up, not all that impressed by his co-worker’s look either. “That’s not what a teacher chaperone looks like.”

“Don’t be so strict, Karasuma!” protested the woman, grinning. “These brats are going on a grown-up trip—“

“Take it off. _Now_.”

Ame slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her snorts. Not only were they not subtle in the least, but the oh-so-dense Karasuma probably had no idea how what he said might sound when taken out of context.

_Ah, watching those two is like watching a good old comedy show—_

“Naoki!” The girl stiffened at being called out by the D-Class teacher. She truly had expected him to forget about her. The man walked up to her. “Don’t think you’re getting off the hook so easily! Talking back to a teacher and to students from higher classes will not be tolerated—“

“I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t have ta! But these guys basically insult us every chance they get with no provocation whatsoever!” Ame couldn’t help it. Her accent came up whenever she was upset, it was something she picked up from Hana, whose own accent pierced through her words when she got angry. “Are ya saying that ya teach yer students ta let people walk all over ‘em just ‘cause they don’t have da same abilities? Just ‘cause they’re different?”

“All for not saying you’re absolute failures,” seethed the teacher.

“We wouldn’t have ta be failures if ya actually gave a damn ‘bout us! Do yer damn job right for once in ya life and—“

A hand suddenly fell on top of her head, stopping her mid-rant. Startled, she looked up to Karasuma, who was staring at the teacher before us.

“Ka-Karasuma-san,” the teacher greeted, taking a wary step back. “Your student has a- a horrible attitude, and she sh- should be punished for daring to use such a t- tone against a teacher. I should have her ex- expelled from the trip, but I- I feel lenient today, so I’ll let- let it pass for now. Do- do ensure that is doesn’t ha- happen again!”

_Wow. Can’t believe how much mental strength it took the guy to muster the courage to talk back to Karasuma-san._

“Thank you for your consideration,” then nodded curtly the agent. “I will make sure she receives adequate punishment.”

“S- see that you do.”

And on that note, the D-Class teacher quickly spun on his heels and disappeared into the wagon. Ame glared at the now closed doors, before sighing and looking back to her teacher, who had now let her go to face the rest of the class.

“Everyone, go inside now and take your seats!” he ordered, before glancing at her. “Naoki, come with me.”

“R- right…”

Rio offered her a tentatively reassuring smile, but couldn’t do much more. Karma merely high-fived her, and so did Maehara, Okajima, Sugino, and Fuwa. Obviously, the students were rather happy to have someone finally talk back, even if she was now going to face the consequences for her insubordination. Once everyone got settled and the train started moving, Ame exited the wagon with Karasuma. Leaning against the wall of the small hallway, she shoved her hands in her pockets and finally looked back to him.

“So? What’s my punishment?” she drawled, resigned.

“There isn’t any.”

“… Eh?”

“You were right in defending yourself,” he remarked, crossing his arms over your chest. “But it could have been delivered with more subtlety and talking back like you did with Ono-sensei isn’t something I exactly approve of. Despite his attitude, he’s still a teacher.”

“More like a greedy asshole,” mumbled the teen, lowering her eyes.

“A greedy asshole that could have you expelled from the school itself if he really wanted to,” retorted the agent, making her flinch a little. “And you know that, which is why I fail to understand what drove you to act this way. I have never seen you lose control of the sort before. You may have an attitude, but you don’t talk to Irina, the octopus, or me that way.”

“You think that was me losing control?” snorted Ame, rubbing the back of her head. “Hell, you’ll know when I actually lose control, trust me on that. As for why… Well, I respect you and Bitch-sensei and Korosensei. I might not really show it, but I do. Because, as I told you a while ago, you’re different from the other teachers. Not because you’re agents or assassins or super-creatures… but because you treat me—you treat _us_ , as human beings. Like normal people with feelings. You don’t look down on us like we’re utter failures or scum or- or a waste of time like all the other teachers in this damn school.” She finally looked back to him. “You respect us, and so I respect you. In fact, we all do. But Ono-sensei? All the others? They treat us like dirt under their shoes, and I’ll be damned if I don’t return the favor.”

“… I understand. And, again, I can only agree. However, do not let your personal feelings hinder your actual mission.” She straightened her back a little at that and bowed her head slightly, accepting his scolding. He had a point, after all. Had he not interfered when he did, she would have been expelled from the trip, and thus the assassination. “Next time around, try to be more subtle.”

“… Wait. You’re telling me I can insult them and talk back however I want, as long as they can’t hold it against me?” she resumed, surprised.

“Subtlety is your strength, isn’t it?” he mused, opening the door to the class’s wagon. “I’m sure you’ll find a way.”

“… Thank you, Karasuma-san. For helping me out back then.” She grinned at him at that. “You’re a pretty cool guy, you know that?”

“I believe I’ve heard it once or twice before,” he shrugged, as serious as ever.

She laughed at that, heading back inside. He may be rather strict, but he actually had a soft side too. In the end, he warmed up to his teaching duties just like Korosensei and Irina-sensei did.

 _Our class is so weird_ , she smiled, going to sit next to Rio.

A few groups were going over their assassination plans one last time. Others were throwing their knives at a target they hung on a wall. A few were playing marbles with anti-sensei bullets.

_Really, really weird._

“Ame! So, what did Karasuma-san say?” wondered the blonde, curious.

“That as long as I’m subtle with it, I can insult the teachers however I want.”

“… What?”

“Yeah, I know. Anyway, want to play a game of cards?”

“… Okay, sure. Whatever.”

They started setting up the game. As Rio dealt the cards, Ame leaned back in her seat, letting her eyes wander on the fast-moving landscape outside.

_Yeah, our class is weird. But… I truly wouldn’t have it any other way._

* * *

.

.

“Maa, trying not to stand out when traveling sure is exhausting, right?”

Korosensei had ended up missing the departure and hanging on to the train until they reached the next station. Ame had facepalmed at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. For a super-creature set to destroy the Earth, Korosensei sure could be stupid sometimes.

“Then don’t bring such an enormous suitcase,” pointed out Okajima.

“You already stand out enough,” agreed Kurahashi.

“Isn’t it iffy, a state secret being so obvious out in public?” added Rio.

Korosensei stiffened, and his fake nose fell. Ame facepalmed again.

“Well, his disguise obviously won’t fool anyone,” she grunted. “If worst comes to worst, we can say he’s a mascot or something, can’t we?”

“I don’t know if that’d work…” mused Yada.

“Korosensei!” suddenly called Sugaya, sitting farther ahead. “Here!”

He threw something at Korosensei, who easily caught it. Ame leaned closer to see what it was, only to find wood shaped in the form of a nose.

“First, we’ll fixe that droopy nose of yours,” the boy chuckled.

Korosensei tentatively put it on, and the orange-eyed girl couldn’t help but wonder how Sugaya had managed to get the size so well-adjusted.

“Wow! What a fantastic fit!” beamed the octopus.

“I carved it so it’ll fit the roundness and spirit of your face,” explained the gray-haired boy, a little smug. “Making stuff like that is a specialty of mine.”

“That’s amazing, Sugaya!” exclaimed Isogai.

“Crazy how something so small makes him look so much more natural!” added Mimura.

As the other students started praising the boy’s talent, Ame then noticed Okuda, Kayano, and Kanzaki heading for the next wagon. Frowning a little, Ame discreetly checked her phone, on which the detector had been added. If the tracker was still on its target, then it meant the guy she was supposed to follow was on the train with them right now, and it didn’t sit right with the teen to know about such a threat yet let the three girls go ahead, unaware of the potential danger. She doubted they’d come in contact with him, but…

“Hey, girls!” she called, jumping to her feet. They stopped as she joined them. “Where are you going?”

“We’re going to get some drinks,” answered Kanzaki, smiling softly. “Do you want anything?”

“Actually, I think I’ll come with you. I need to stretch my legs,” replied the orange-eyed teen.

“Then let’s go!” pressed Kayano, grabbing her arm to pull her along. “Come on, come on!”

“Yes, yes.”

The four girls thus left the wagon. Ame knew that they shouldn’t run in her target if the said target hadn’t moved from his seat since the last minute, but just being there with them to make sure everything turned out fine put her mind at ease. As they stepped out, though, they almost ran into a random guy. The three girls instantly apologized, moving ahead quicker, but Ame instantly caught the slight movement of the guy as he… grabbed Kanzaki’s trip itinerary.

_What is he doing?_

Her three classmates didn’t notice as, instead of stepping out with them, she slipped into the shadows near the door. As soon as the said door closed, three more guys stepped out, staring at the backs of her retreating friends.

“What school’re they from?” wondered the first.

“Probably Kunugigaoka,” answered the guy they had run into.

“Wow, so a whole bunch of super-smart lads and ladies, eh?” mused the second one.

“But that one didn’t seem too special, did she?” added the third, staring at Kanzaki through the glass.

The guy they had run into then pulled out the itinerary he had just stolen and grinned a little.

“Say… how ‘bout we show ‘em a lesson in Kyoto?”

At that, his friends chuckled. Ame frowned, thinking fast. They had Kanzaki’s group’s route at hand, they knew where to find them very easily. Should she try taking it back? Or rather warn Kanzaki and the others?

_No need to worry them. I can easily steal it back and give it back to Kanzaki, and say she dropped it or something._

So, as the four students started heading out, she silently fell in step with them. As she reached her target’s back, she extended her hand to grab the itinerary, already ready to make a run for it. However, as soon as her fingers brushed against it, the guy spun around and roughly grabbed her wrist.

“Shit—“

“Thought you could take me by surprise, eh?” He grinned a little, leaning down on her as she tried to pull her wrist out of his grasp. “Thought I wouldn’t notice? But I’ve been pickpocketing for much longer than you, sweetheart. I saw you as soon as we stepped outside—“

“Fuck off!”

She snapped her free hand up, harshly hitting him under the chin. Then, she brought her knee up in his stomach He bent over, but his grip only tightened. Gritting her teeth, the teen tried to hit him again, but he easily spun her around and trapped her in an arm-lock.

Ame possessed many abilities. She was agile and swift on her feet and she had stamina many pros would kill for. However, she wasn’t as skilled when it came to sheer hand-to-hand fighting. With a weapon like a knife, she could handle herself without a problem—hell, she was extremely dangerous as soon as she got her hands on a weapon of any kind. Barehanded, though, her only way to win was to either tire out her opponent, land a sure strike or run away. And the more opponents there were, the lower her chances were in a head-on fight. Once caught… once caught, Ame couldn’t do much, really. She had learned early how to escape bonds and handcuffs and stuff like that, but she always had great difficulties when it came to a match of sheer physical strength.

_Damn it, what do I do? Think, think, think—_

“What’s going on, here?”

At the new voice, the four boys stiffened. Ame couldn’t see who it was, considering the thugs were obstructing her view, but the distraction was all she needed. Giving a harsh kick to the guy’s nuts, he finally loosened his grip and she managed to free herself. Slipping under his arms, she made a barrel on the floor and finally stopped moving at the feet of her impromptu savior. A hand appeared before her face, and she looked up… to Sakakibara Ren’s smug expression.

“Need some help?” he mused.

She instantly slapped his hand away, scowling a little, and rose back to her feet. She then turned to the four guys, who were now glaring at the boy behind her.

“Stinkin’ elite brats, thinkin’ they’re better than everyone else…” muttered darkly one, cracking his knuckles.

“How ‘bout we beat that guy up and have some fun with the girlie, eh?” proposed another.

“I wouldn’t suggest it. You might find yourself short on options if it comes to finding colleges otherwise, considering you’ll end up in prison for aggression.”

Ame froze, glancing behind her. When had that orange-haired guy come in? But the thugs seemed to understand that a train was too much of a public space for them to escape whatever consequences their actions would bring. So, scoffing, their leader turned around and started walking away.

“Come on, guys,” he grunted.

Fast, too fast for the two boys from the A-Class to understand what had really happened, Ame suddenly darted forward. She managed to snatch the itinerary from the guy’s hand, before jumping over two seats and landing back on her feet.

“Don’t mess with my friends,” she warned, venom seeping in her voice. “Or trust me: that’ll be the _last_ thing you’ll do.”

At the sheer coldness of her tone, the four thugs shivered, before quickly running with their tails between their legs. Once they were gone, Ame exhaled in relief. It had been a rather close call after all but, at least, she got the paper back.

_Now they won’t mess with Kanzaki and the others, at least…_

“You shouldn’t involve yourself with people like them.” At the remark, she finally reported her attention on the other two. The orange-haired one was the one who spoke. “Even less considering the reputation you have already built for yourself, Naoki Ame.”

“At least I _have_ a reputation. Who’re you?”

Sakakibara blinked a few times at her retort, obviously startled, before a few chuckles escaped him. The other boy’s eyes, which had been so blank to begin with, were now somewhat lightened with interest.

“… Asano Gakushu.”

“Oh.” Understanding then dawned on her: “Wait, you’re the Principal’s son?”

He nodded, somewhat arrogantly. Now that the girl knew to whom she was talking to, she would back down and bow like everyone else—

“Wow. And I thought _I_ had it rough.”

Asano blinked slowly, unsure if he had heard her right. Next to him, Sakakibara seemed torn between laughing in disbelief and gaping in horror.

“Anyway, I guess I should thank you guys for the help,” she finally relented, running a hand through her hair. “Don’t go thinking you’re the shit just because you played heroes, though. Frankly, it was reckless. I could have taken care of it on my own.”

“That’s not what I saw when I walked in on the guy trapping you in an arm-lock,” retorted the boy with the half-shaved head. “Can’t you merely be grateful?”

“… Ooh. My knights in shining armor. I owe you my life. What could I ever do to repay you?” she stated in a flat tone.

Sakakibara sweatdropped at that. “Nevermind.”

“That’s what I thought.”

On that note, she walked passed the two and started heading back to the E-Class wagon. As soon as she was gone, Asano’s lips twitched into a small smile.

“You were right, Ren. She’s interesting,” he stated.

“Right? Though, what are you going to do about it?”

“For now? Just some background checks. I’m… curious.”

* * *

.

.

While the A-through-D classes reached their luxury hotel, the E-Class was sent to a traditional inn. Ame couldn’t say she disliked it, though. The place was calm and reminded her of their classroom, so it kind of fit. Not only could Korosensei move around freely and without his disguise, but they could talk of the assassination without fearing about eavesdroppers. Well, that and they wouldn’t have to endure the other students’ jeers.

As soon as they reached the inn they would be staying in, Korosensei slumped on the couch, his head deflating like a balloon. He looked kind of sick, to be honest.

“So he gets all sick and groggy on bullet trains and buses?” Nagisa wrote down that weakness in his notes.

“Are you all right? Why don’t you lie down in your room?” proposed Okano, trying to stab him.

He avoided the hit and started sliding from right to left and left to right using his Mach 20 speed, avoiding the knives of Okano, Kataoka, and Isogai.

“No need to worry. I’ll just pop back to Tokyo,” replied their teacher.

“Uh?”

“I forgot my pillow.”

“All that luggage and you still forgot something!?” protested Mimura.

Ame rolled her eyes. The more time they passed with Korosensei, and the more the super-creature reminded her of a human. Sure, the super-intelligence, the speed, and the appearance didn’t match, but his reactions were extremely human-like.

_And he said he was born and raised on Earth… Could this mean he was actually human before? Was that the project Yukimura-sensei was working on? Changing humans into monsters? I already guessed the government had a hand in his creation, but could he have started out as a normal human? I guess it would be a good weapon, though._

“Well, Kanzaki-san? Did you find the itinerary?”

At Kayano’s question, Ame was pulled out of her thoughts and mentally slapped herself. She had been so caught up in watching out for the rest of the students on the rest of the way to Kyoto, she had completely forgotten about giving it back.

“You’re so earnest, Kanzaki-san. I admire you putting that itinerary together all by yourself,” remarked Korosensei, still slumped on the couch. “But never fear. As long as you have one of my handmade handbooks, everything will be fine.”

“But I know I put it in my bag… Did I drop it somewhere?” frowned the girl.

“Yeah, you did.” Kanzaki stared in surprise as Ame handed over the itinerary. “I found it on the ground when you guys left to get the drinks. Though, I completely forgot I had it until you mentioned it. Sorry about that.”

“Th- thank you!” gasped the sweet girl, taking it back. “I didn’t even notice!”

“Oh, is that why you didn’t come with us after all?” realized Kayano.

“Aa. I saw it falling from her bag but once I picked it up, I realized you guys had disappeared from sight, so I simply went back to our wagon,” easily lied the teen.

_No need to worry them. They’re safe. Let them enjoy their vacation._

* * *

_._

_._

_The next day_

_A little past two in the afternoon_

Ame was jumping from one roof to another, too fast for anyone to spot her. The tracker in hand, she was now following her target. She still hadn’t seen him, but she knew she was getting closer, which only made her accelerate her pace.

Slipping away from the group had been easier than planned. After their assassination attempt failed, Korosensei went to find the next group. As soon as he was gone, Ame let the growing crowd separate the others from her, and she took off as soon as they disappeared from her line of sight. She had texted Rio a little later to reassure her and tell her she’d meet them back at the inn, not wanting the blonde to call at an inopportune moment and reveal her location.

_Wait, he’s here!_

She could see him now, down the street. She stopped on the edge of the roof, laying low so that no one would notice her. From here on out, she’d have to tail him carefully, and leave enough distance between the two of them so as not to risk blowing her cover—

“Stop it!”

“L- let go!”

The black-haired girl almost fell off the roof at the familiar voices. Startled, she looked down in the alley below her and her eyes widened in horror. There were numerous boys wearing the same uniform as those she had faced in the train and she easily recognized the guy who had first stolen the itinerary. Along with his friends, he was dragging Kayano and Kanzaki into a van, and she could see farther down the alley the unconscious forms of Karma, Sugino, and Nagisa lying on the ground.

_Fuck! What happened? How did they find them? What do I do?_

Her target was moving again. If she let him slip away, she could kiss the mission goodbye. Just before her, though, the van started moving.

_Ugh, damn it!_

Without hesitating any longer, she started running after the van, jumping from roof to roof once again to keep up. She’d explain everything to Hana later. For now, she needed to save her friends.

* * *

.

.

“I called up our buddies. Got everything ready for a little commemorative photo shoot, too. Make as much noise as you want—no one will hear you here.”

Ame slipped into the abandoned building and went to sit on one of the metal beams supporting the rooftop, just above the group of high-school guys and their two captives. She needed to stay hidden for now and gauge the situation carefully.

_Eleven of them. Kayano and Kanzaki are tied up, they could be used as hostages._

“I thought I’d seen you somewhere before,” remarked the leader of the group. “This is you, right? At Tokyo Arcade last summer?”

He showed her his phone. Kanzaki stiffened a little, making Ame narrow her eyes. Had the guy been stalking her all along?

“I told my buddy to let me know if he found me the right girl. Had plans to kidnap you, but then lost sight of you,” explained casually the thug. “Who would have thought you were a student at that famous junior high?”

_Not a lot of light, which means easy spots to hide in. A couch. Lots of space. The switch is in the back. Only one door._

“But look, I get it. The higher you are, the deeper you wanna fall.” The dude suddenly leaned closer to her face, smirking cruelly. “Well, from now until nightfall, the Professor of Ruin will teach you all about that. Ah! And not even your little friend from back then will be able to protect you this time around!”

“F- friend?” Kayano dared to speak up for the first time.

“Yeah, that lil’ bitch took back the itinerary I stole in the first place, back on the train,” snorted bitterly the guy, backing away. “Damn girl slipped right through our fingers. Though, I guess it was a good thing I thought of having my guys take a picture of your route first, right?”

_So that’s how he found them? Damn it, I’m such an idiot…_

The two girls below exchanged a glance. They clearly remembered Ame giving back the itinerary the day before, but she had told them Kanzaki dropped it…

Ame clenched her fists a little. That guy had played her, but she’d return the favor in kind. She didn’t take well to people fooling her (she was the one who fooled people!) but, most of all, they attacked her classmates.

Her _friends_.

No. No, that wouldn’t do at all.

_I just need the right time…_

Below, the thugs started scattering around the place, drinking and laughing. They were obviously waiting for their comrades to show up and start that damn photo shoot of theirs. However, that also meant they weren’t paying attention to the two girls they had just kidnapped.

_Now!_

She threw her knife –an actual pocket knife, not a rubber one- at the light switch, instantly turning off the lights. Using the confusion to her advantage, she dropped on the couch just behind the two girls and, in a swift movement, cut their bindings with another of her knives. Not wasting any time, she then darted towards the leader. He cursed loudly as she landed on his back but, before he could do anything, she had wrapped her legs around him and managed to make him fall, before trapping him in a lock and placing her knife just against his neck. He instantly stopped moving, obviously sensing the danger he was now in.

At that exact moment, the light was turned on once more.

The girl tightened her grip on the guy. He was much taller and stronger, but she now had the advantage. When armed, she could deal a lot of damage. She had the best teacher, after all, in more ways than one. Those guys didn’t stand a chance. And, right now, she had the upper hand, considering she had their leader taken hostage.

“O- oi!”

“It’s that girl from the train!”

“What do we—“

“Move and I’ll slice him open,” warned coldly the teen, not in the mood for jokes. They instantly froze in place. “Good, good. Now, here’s what’s gonna happen: you let the two girls leave without making a fuss. Once they’re gone, I’ll free your friend and we can all settle this in a fair fight. What do you say about that?”

“F- fair fight?” snorted the guy she was holding down. “We’re gonna trash you, little girl. We’re eleven against you, and our friends are coming soon. You think you can take us on?”

She only pressed the blade a little more, and blood started trickling down his throat, effectively shutting him up.

“Oh, I _know_ I can. So, deal?”

“… ‘fine. Oi! Free the girls and let them go.” He gritted his teeth. “We’ll make that one make up for it.”

“No need to free them. Kanzaki, Kayano!” she called to the two girls, who were now standing and unsure of what to do. “Leave this place and head straight back to where we pass the night. No detours, no coming back, got it?”

“But Naoki—“

“ _Now_.”

They seemed to understand that it wasn’t the time to argue because they gave in after all. Hesitantly, they started heading for the door. None of the thugs made a move to grab them, and they finally reached the exit. As they stepped out, though, they couldn’t help but shoot one last glance at Ame.

The girl simply smiled at them. “I’ll be fine. I’ll see you guys later.”

Biting her lower lip, Kayano then grabbed Kanzaki and pulled her outside. The door closed behind them, and a heavy silence fell upon the group. After a minute or so, Ame suddenly released the guy and harshly kicked him in the back, making him roll aside as she rose back to her feet and faced the group, her knife spinning between her fingers.

“All right, boys. I did promise a fair fight, so here we are. All of you against good lil’ me,” she remarked, smiling sweetly.

“Get her,” spat the leader, rubbing his somewhat bloody neck.

The more opponents there were, the lower her chances were in a head-on fight, so she always tried to avoid it. When someone threatened her friends, though, it was another matter entirely.

_Let’s get this show on the road!_

Snarling, the thugs instantly ran at her. She dropped to the floor and sliced behind the knees of the nearest one, who let out a pained yell as he hit the floor. She then stabbed another in the shoulder, using the momentum to propel herself in the air and kick another in the face, knocking out a few teeth in the process. Landing back on her feet, she stabbed one’s tight before slicing his face, making him fall. Avoiding the grasp of a fifth one, she grabbed his arm and followed his movement, making him stumble and fall. She instantly stabbed through his hand, effectively pinning him to the ground.

No longer having a weapon, she started simply avoiding the hits of the sixth one, who did have a knife. However, he was obviously an amateur with no prior training. Saved for his strong built, nothing advantaged him in that fight. She easily knocked the weapon out of his grasp, before picking it up and throwing it at the seventh guy. The knife embedded itself in his shoulder, but he didn’t fall and pulled out it with a snarl, before running at her. At the last second, she dropped to the ground, and the guy ended stabbing the one she had just disarmed.

Adrenaline pumping through her veins, she started laughing as she kicked the seventh guy (the one who had just stabbed his friend) behind the knees, before grabbing the metal bar lying on the floor and hitting him behind the head with it, thus knocking him out. He’d probably have a concussion, but she truly couldn’t have cared less. Moving on, she got the eighth one right in the face, breaking his nose and also knocking him out. The guy she had pinned to the floor a few seconds before came back to the charge with her knife in his bloody hand. Almost rolling her eyes, she blocked the blade with the metal bar before kicking him in the nuts. He howled in pain, and she used the opportunity to take back her weapon and stabbed him in the stomach, though she was careful not to hit any vital organ.

Only two thugs plus their leader were left. The whole fight had gone on for what, less than three minutes? Everything happened too fast for them to fully understand that they were losing until time came to a stop as their eighth member dropped. She then faced the three of them, a predatory grin on her face, a bloodied metal bar in one hand and an even bloodier knife in the other. There wasn’t a speck of blood on her, though.

She was incredibly, almost morbidly _clean_.

“So, who’s next?” she mused, her knife spinning again.

The ninth one ran at her screaming, himself wielding a baseball bat. Eyes wide, he tried to bash her skull… but she avoided the hit and harshly slammed the metal bar on his head, making him drop to the floor. Giving in to panic, the last thug tried to make a run for the door. Without hesitation, she threw her knife at him. It flew passed him and embedded itself in the door, a few centimeters away from his face. The poor sap instantly passed out from fright.

_And now, the best for last~._

Chuckling, the teen then faced the leader. She dropped the metal bar and started slowly advancing towards him, her knife spinning once more. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from it, frozen in place as she kept on getting closer. His heart was beating too fast, he couldn’t think straight, he needed to stop her knife _her knife take her damn knife—!_

_Gotcha._

Without warning… the teen dropped the knife. Stuck in a panicked mindset, the guy followed the falling blade with his eyes… and failed to see the Taser until she got him straight in the chest. His body shaken by numerous spasms, he collapsed on the dirty floor. His eyes rolling in their sockets, he then fainted.

“I told you, didn’t I?” then mused the teen, staring down at him with a bitter smile. “I warned you not to mess with my friends.”

She picked up his phone and, without hesitation, she broke it, making sure no information could be saved. Whatever he had on Kanzaki, he wouldn’t get it again. Satisfied with her work, she then grinned somewhat evilly and pulled out her own phone, before taking a selfie with the beaten thugs. She chuckled at the picture before putting her phone away. Now, she simply needed to leave before—

“Holy _shit_.”

Biting back a startled yelp, Ame spun around, only to find Karma, Sugino, and Nagisa gaping at her work. Behind them were Okuda, Kanzaki, and Kayano, the two last girls exhaling in relief when seeing she was fine.

“Ame-chan!” exclaimed the green-haired girl, running up to her. “Are you all right?”

“Uh? ‘Course I am. Though, I think those guys might need to go to the hospital,” replied the teen, shoving her hands in her pockets. “I was careful not to hit anything critical, didn’t want to kill them either, but that should teach them not to mess with us again, at least.”

“Isn’t this a little overkill, though?” sweatdropped Nagisa.

“They were disgusting beings who were about to violate two of my friends,” retorted Ame, a little colder now. “I could have done _much_ worse if I had wanted to.”

“Ri- right…”

As the teen said, there was a lot of blood, but nothing enough to kill any of them. They would simply hurt for a long, long while, but they _did_ deserve it.

“How did you get here before us anyway?” then wondered Sugino, scratching the back of his head. “When we got here, we ran into Kanzaki and Kayano who were panicking and telling us you were facing the guys by yourself…”

“I was passing by when I saw you guys were in trouble,” admitted the teen. “I simply followed the van here.”

“But… earlier, that guy…” Kayano lowered her eyes, fiddling with her fingers. “He said that he stole the itinerary on the train, but that someone took it back from him… That was you, wasn’t it?”

“… Aa.”

“Why didn’t you tell us, Naoki-san?” frowned slightly Kanzaki.

“I didn’t want you guys to worry for nothing,” sighed the girl. “I thought I had handled everything and that you’d be fine and I didn’t want you guys to stress needlessly. I’m… sorry about that. I should have told you. Maybe if I did, then this wouldn’t have happened—“

Kayano grabbed her hands, startling the girl, who looked back to her. The green-haired teen then beamed at her.

“You shouldn’t apologize for wanting to help. Thank you, for saving us!”

“I… I just…”

“Aa. Thank you,” added Kanzaki, now smiling softly.

“… Ain’t nothin’,” mumbled the girl, averting her gaze. The adrenaline was now slowly disappearing, leaving her in a somewhat dazed state. “Though I gotta say, that wasn’t how I pictured our school-trip would go.”

At that, the other students could only laugh. Ame was about to add something when, suddenly, the leader she thought she had knocked out earlier kicked her feet from under her. She yelped in surprise and barely reacted in time to stop his knife from stabbing her throat. Her hands were slippery, though, so he still managed to slice through her cheek before he was harshly pulled off of her and thrown farther away by none other than a slightly late Korosensei.

“Ame-chan!” Kayano helped her to sit, horrified. “Are you okay?”

“Y- yeah…” She cringed when feeling the blood now coating her face. The slice was rather deep, and it was burning. “Ouch…”

“Don’t you dare… touch my students… with your filthy hands!” then growled Korosensei, thoroughly pissed.

The orange-eyed girl winced a little at the sight of the angry creature. She hadn’t expected to for him to show up, though he obviously wanted to teach those thugs a lesson of his own.

“Students,” he called, his voice now even. “Do step outside. I do not wish for you to assist to the incoming violence.”

 _Well, at least he’s honest,_ sweatdropped the teen.

Two hands suddenly slipped under her arms and she was lifted back on her feet. She blinked up at Karma, who patted her head with a grin.

“Good job, Ame.”

“Let- let’s get out of here!” then pressed Okuda, already at the door.

Nodding, the girl picked up the three knives lying on the floor, the one she had thrown earlier to turn off the lights, the other she had fought with, and the last one that belonged to one of her opponents. She was allowed a small prize for her victory, right? The students then quickly exited the abandoned building. Ame stared up at the orange sky in wonder. Had it really taken this long?

_And I abandoned my mission too…_

Glancing to the now free girls, though, she couldn’t feel any regret over her decision. In the end, they were safe, and that was all that mattered.


	9. Ninth Period: Fun Time

_First day of the trip_

_11:20 in the morning_

It was time for their assassination attempt. Ame’s group was now visiting one of the numerous shrines of the city. It wasn’t as popular, though, so there weren’t many tourists or potential witnesses. Exchanging a nod with Rio, she gave the signal for the operation to start.

::

_“Why don’t we go to the open-theater? That way, Korosensei will be distracted by the actors and won’t notice the sniper, right?” proposed Fuwa._

_“Wrong,” instantly replied Ame, deep in thoughts. “Let’s not forget that Korosensei more than likely knows about the assassinations that will take place. He’s not stupid; he knows this trip is the perfect opportunity for us. Let’s also assume that he knows about the sniper, for good measure: what then? Knowing him, he’ll probably join the play or something, and then the sniper won’t be able to get him. Hell, there’ll be too many people anyway.”_

_“Oh, right…”_

_“But then taking him by surprise is impossible!” protested Okajima, scratching his head. “We all know that as soon as he got his attention on you, you can’t surprise him anymore.”_

_“But we’ve got an advantage knowing that,” pointed out the black-haired teen._

_“What do you mean?” wondered Hayami._

_“Well… I don’t know if you guys noticed, but I manage to take him by surprise because I use his expectations to my advantage,” she pointed out. “It’s not always the case, but he can be rather predictable when you actually think about it.” Seeing they weren’t really following her, she tried to find another way to explain. “Let’s assume that he knows about the sniper. That means he’ll be on the lookout and the sniper can’t surprise him, no matter how good he is. However, that doesn’t mean_ we’re _not allowed to do anything, right?”_

::

Ame easily spotted the sniper in the tree much, much farther. She was the one who chose that spot, after all. She was also fairly convinced that Korosensei had spotted him too, and was paying more attention to the guy than to what was going on around him.

Then, the operation began.

_Let’s go!_

The sniper fired… at Rio. Korosensei instantly appeared between her and the bullet, effectively stopping it, but he lost two tentacles in the process. Using the opportunity, Rio instantly stabbed through two other tentacles. Startled, he didn’t see Mimura, Sugaya, and Okajima firing at him, and barely escaped their bullets. However, all that commotion allowed the sniper to recharge his gun and fire again. Stuck between fires, he failed to notice Hayami, who was hidden above him, and Chiba, who was hidden behind a pillar. The two were now taking their own shot at him and managed to get three tentacles. Fuwa instantly dropped from the ceiling, wielding her knife but, having apparently enough, Korosensei’s tentacles shot around and grabbed everyone, thus stopping the attacks.

“Enough!” he was panting, obviously taken by surprise. “Everyone—“

“Wow, that thing must be worth a lot uh?” then exclaimed loudly Ame, holding a precious urn. She then dropped it with a grin. “Oops?”

“NO!”

Korosensei released the students to grab it and managed to stop it from hitting the ground just in time. Nervous bands of sweat running down his face, he was panting even more harshly. Too flustered, he didn’t see the rest of the students who had run to take cover.

Ame simply grinned before activating the bomb in the urn and jumping behind a pillar. A small detonation followed, and anti-sensei’s bullets started flying all around. Using the distraction, the sniper fired a third time. Then, silence ensued. After a few seconds, Ame finally dared to look… and groaned when realizing he was still alive.

“Damn it!”

“What a carefully planned assassination…” chuckled their teacher, a little darkly. He was holding to the pieces of the now destroyed urn. “But destroying antic treasures to reach your goals will _not_ be tolerated!!!”

“Chill, Korosensei,” laughed nervously the black-haired girl, coming out of hiding. “It wasn’t a real one anyway.”

“… Eh!?”

“Sugaya made it,” added Okajima, exchanging a fist bump with said boy. “Though you didn’t notice it was a fake since you were so distracted by everything else.”

“I can’t believe this didn’t work!” added Rio, running a hand through her hair. “And I acted as bait too! What a waste…”

“Well, I guess that part _was_ a little reckless,” chuckled Fuwa, rubbing the back of her head.

“We may have not managed, but we still made progress,” then pointed out Hayami, coming down.

Chiba, next to her, simply nodded.

“It was fun to plan, though,” pointed out Mimura.

At that, the rest of the students nodded in agreement. They may not have succeeded, but planning the assassination had been really fun, and extremely instructive too.

“… Niryufufufu! Well done, students!” praised their teacher. “Unfortunately, I believe it is time for me to meet with the next team. See you tonight!”

And he was gone, just like that. The eight students exchanged unsure glances, before slowly leaving the shrine and heading for a more populated area. As they walked, though, Ame’s phone buzzed a little.

_My target’s near and he’s on the move._

Now was the time to take her leave, then. Careful not to show what she was doing, she slowly let the group go ahead until the growing crowd naturally separated them. As soon as they disappeared, she went into the nearest alley and climbed on the roof. Once there, she started running.

_Let’s get this mission started!_

* * *

_._

_._

_End of the first day, at the inn_

_Back to present time_

When Ame and the others finally returned to the inn, they were greeted by very worried classmates, who huddled around them as soon as they stepped inside.

“Gah! Ame! What _happened_ to you?” gasped Rio, staring at the blood on the girl’s face in horror.

“An asshole took me by surprise. Don’t worry about it—“

“Don’t worry about it? Of _course_ I will! Come on, let’s get you cleaned up!”

“Rio—“

But the blonde was having none of it and started dragging her towards the baths. The rest of the girls instantly went after them to bath together, hoping they’d get the full story from her. They knew Group Four and Ame had run into some trouble, but Karasuma had refused to tell them anything more, and so they were extremely curious and somewhat worried about what kind of mess they had gotten into. Before they could leave, though, Ame managed to stop and turned to the octopus.

“Korosensei!” She threw an envelope at him. Her teacher caught it, curious. “Give that to him, okay? Make sure he opens it only once he’s alone!”

“Him…?”

“Oh, don’t play dumb. I know you’re going to— _Rio_! Stop pulling, damn it!”

This time, all of the girls left the room for good. The rest of their classmates stared for a few seconds, confused, before Korosensei chuckled and carefully tucked away the envelope.

_Such a perceptive girl… Truly an interesting student!_

* * *

.

.

“And you’ve beaten them all by yourself?”

“Yeah— _ouch!_ Rio, stop— _ow!_ Leave it _be_ already!”

“We need to clean it before bandaging it!” protested the blonde, still working on the deep cut on the teen’s face. “Who knows where that knife had gone before? Can you imagine all the germs there were on that thing?”

The door of the room slid open, letting enter Okuda, Yada, and Hara.

“We- we brought back bandages!” announced the bespectacled girl.

“And snacks!” added Hara, beaming.

“Also, Korosensei gave us this when we walked by,” mused Yada, placing a small bottle before Ame. “Said it was painkillers to apply on the bandage before putting it on.”

“Ugh, it’s not like I’m dying either…” muttered the teen. “I can take care— _ouch_! Knock it off already!”

But Rio completely ignored her complaints and kept on cleaning the cut. Once she was finally done, she put some of the painkillers on the bandage, as instructed, before placing it over the cut.

“There! All done!” grinned the blue-eyed girl.

Ame lowered her head at that. “… thanks.”

“Well, what are friends for?” retorted the blonde, patting her head.

“Ame-chan, I’m sorry,” then apologized Kayano. “You were hurt because of us—“

“Nope. Not hearing any of this,” Ame instantly cut her off. “I let my guard down and I paid the price. There’s nothing more to it, so don’t go blaming yourself or some bullshit like that, okay?”

“… okay.”

“Still, you’re really strong, aren’t you, Ame-chan?” then mused Kurahashi. “You can surprise Korosensei, and you’re good at planning, and you know how to fight…”

“I seem strong only because I play to my strengths,” shrugged the girl, stretching her arms. “Without a weapon, I wouldn’t have been able to take these guys on. I’m better at avoiding attacks than dealing them, to be frank.”

“But where did you learn all that?” wondered Okano.

“Ooh, I know! You watched a lot of anime, haven’t you?” grinned Fuwa.

“Nan, I just have… very dedicated mentors.” _That’s putting it mildly._ “Oh, shoot!”

She had completely forgotten about her mission. Rising to her feet, she apologized to the girls, before grabbing her phone and heading out. Stepping outside, she took a second to enjoy the fresher air of the night before dialing Hana’s number.

She instantly picked up.

**“Ame! We didn’t get anything so we were worried something happened!”**

“Sorry about that, Hana,” cringed the teen. “But I’m okay.”

**“Then how’d the mission go?”**

“I didn’t… accomplish the mission.”

**“What? How come?”**

“Some of my classmates ran into trouble. They got kidnapped and I had to go and take care of everything,” resumed the teen, biting her lower lip. “But I lost the target in the process. I’m sorry.”

**“… No. No, don’t be, it’s fine. Are your friends okay?”**

“Yeah, everything’s fine now. I took care of the thugs and everyone’s safe.”

**“What about you? Were you hurt?”**

“I let my guard down and one of them managed to get my face, but it’s just a small cut. It’ll be healed in no time,” assured the girl.

**“Okay. Don’t worry about the mission, you did what was right. We’ll simply work out something else. Enjoy the rest of your trip, okay? Also, Devit sent you the money earlier. You should have it in your account now.”**

“Wait, I didn’t accomplish the mission—“

**“Take it as an early birthday gift from me, then. And frankly, with all the extra work you’ve been doing for us, you deserve it.”**

“… Thank you, Hana. Oh, and I also recruited someone. A sniper.”

**“Really? Been a while since we last got a member… I’ll wait for his call, then. Anyway, have fun and stay safe, okay?”**

“Will do. I’ll drop by when I come back.”

**“See you then.”**

Feeling better, Ame hung up. She already knew Hana wouldn’t be mad or even disappointed, but she was still glad it went so smoothly. That mission had been rather important, after all. However, the Zodiac was rather loose when it came to those. As long as the clients got what they wanted, then the rest didn’t matter. So, it wasn’t unusual for a mission to turn out as Ame’s did.

_Guess I’ll just have to make it up to them next time, then._

* * *

_._

_._

_Out in the city, in a small restaurant_

“And finally… one of my students asked me to give you this.”

Red Eye, the sniper who had been following the groups all day, took the envelope the octopus was handing to him with some suspicion. He now knew for certain that the weird creature wasn’t going to kill him, but what could one of his _students_ possibly want from him?

“Also, that student asked me to tell you not to open it until you were certain you were alone,” added the monster, getting up. “Well, it was nice meeting you. I do hope our paths cross again!”

On which he vanished. Red Eye stared at the now empty spot before him for a few seconds, still taken aback by the octopus’s speed. Then, with a sigh, he looked back at the white envelope in his hands. Curiosity getting the better of him, he first checked around to make sure he was alone, before opening it.

Inside was only a small, black business card. On the front was the letter Z, stylized and white. On the other side was a phone number.

_What does this mean?_

There was something else in the envelope. It was a small note.

_If you’re interested in a new life, we’re ready to welcome you and your skills._

_Think about this offer carefully._

_If you refuse, burn this paper._

_If you’re interested, call the number._

_We know you’ll make the right choice._

_\- Z_

He frowned, even more confused. That was from a _student_? Was that kid, whoever it was… trying to _recruit_ him or something? No, that was stupid. Surely just a prank or something like that. Shaking his head, he put the card in his pocket and kept on eating.

* * *

.

.

Ame was heading back to the girls’ room but, as she passed the boys’, she noticed they were all still awake. She couldn’t help but wonder what they were talking about, considering it was getting rather late. So, without a noise, she slipped in between the half-opened doors and casually went to sit just behind Takebayashi and Kimura. None of the boys noticed her, completely engrossed by whatever they were doing and a paper that was going around.

“Well, I just want to know who likes who,” remarked Mimura.

“I can’t pick just one!” cried Okajima in the background.

“Other than you, Okajima,” sweatdropped Sugaya.

“Hey, who do you like, Nagisa?” then wondered Maehara.

“Uh? I- I—“

“What about you, Maehara?” then retorted Sugino, saving his friend from the embarrassment. “Anyone?”

“Who, me?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “My lips are sealed.”

“That pisses me off! And when I think of how popular guys like you are, it pisses me off even more!” protested Mimura.

“Oh, looks like fun in here,” remarked Karma, coming in. “What are you guys doing?”

“Karma!”

“Great timing!”

“Is there a girl you like?” asked bluntly Maehara.

At first surprised, the red-haired boy then looked down at the paper that was handed over to him. Ame leaned on her palm, smirking a little and wondering when the hell those guys would finally notice her. They were obviously too engrossed in their little conversation right now, but she was getting some pretty good blackmail material.

“Hmm… Maybe Okuda-san?” finally answered Karma.

“No way…”

“Oh, that’s a pretty interesting choice!” mused the eternal flirt. “Why?”

“’Cause I bet she could make some sketchy drugs and chloroform—really kick my mischief-making up a notch, you know?” replied the red-haired devil, grinning evilly.

“That’s one match no one needs to be making,” sweatdropped Sugino.

“Wait, but aren’t you pretty chummy with Naoki-san?” then mused Sugaya. “Can you imagine, her and Karma working on pranks together?”

At that, all the boys shuddered, while Karma’s smirk only widened at the rather interesting idea. It was true that having Ame as a partner in crime could be fun… Said girl was starting to wonder if she should take pity on them and inform them of her presence.

“Well, she ranked fifth in the list,” then remarked Okajima, taking a look at the said list. “She was rather cold at the beginning of the year but she’s super badass and she’s actually pretty nice—“

“Okay, okay,” Isogai intervened and grabbed the paper. “You guys, these ratings are just between us, okay? I mean, most of us don’t want this getting out. So, do not let the girls or any of the teachers find out—“

“I’ll take this, thank you very much~!”

All of the boys froze in place. Then, Isogai blinked a few times, gaping at his now empty hand. The paper on which the ratings had been written had vanished from his hands!

“What—“

“So, I’m really fifth? Funny, didn’t think you guys thought so highly of me.”

“NA- NAOKI-SAN!?” exclaimed all of the boys, paling dramatically at the sight of the black-haired girl now standing in the middle of their group. “NO WAY!”

“When the hell did you get here!?” squeaked Okajima in horror.

“Uh?” A small grin stretched her lips. “I got here just before Karma. I was sitting with you all along. So, I’m super badass and pretty nice?”

“Ugh! No way!”

“How did we not see her?”

“Guys, she got the list!”

Instantly, the chaos that had taken over quieted down as all of the boys snapped their attention back to the paper now in Ame’s hands. The black-haired girl, feeling up for some fun, mimicked a thoughtful expression.

“You know, I _am_ curious as to what the girls would say about these ratings—“

“Gah! No!”

“Get her!”

“Don’t let her leave the room!”

Most of the boys tried grabbing her, but she easily escaped their grasps and managed to reach the door in the confusion.

“See ya!” And she started running.

“Quick! Before she makes it to the girls’ room!”

“Come back here, Naoki!”

They stumbled out of the room but, by the time they started chasing her, she was already a fair bit ahead. She was using the slippery floor to her advantage, letting herself slide down the hallway at high speed.

“Let’s cut her off!” ordered Isogai. “Everyone split!”

“Yes!”

A group went left, another ran outside, and the last one kept on running after her. Too caught up in escaping them, Ame didn’t really pay attention and kept on running/sliding. As the door of the girls’ room appeared in sight, though, so did the second group, who had cut through the other hallway.

“There she is!”

“She’s trapped!”

They’d get to the room before her. Bracing herself, she then dropped to the floor. Due to the speed, she kept on sliding, though, right between their legs. As she finally managed to reach the door, she practically threw the door open and burst in, scaring the crap out of the other girls.

“Ame! What’s that commotion all about?” wondered Rio, getting up.

“It’s the boys, they—“

“Gotcha!”

“Whoa!”

The third group that had gone outside had climbed on the girls’ balcony and managed to get into the room. Maehara jumped on her, making her fall to the floor, and was soon imitated by Okajima, Kimura, Sugino, and Sugaya. The teen groaned at the sudden weights that were now suffocating her, and she could do nothing as Isogai plucked the list from her hands.

“We got it!” he claimed, victorious.

“Ow…”

“Got _what_? What’s going on?” demanded Hara, crossing her arms over her chest.

At that, all the boys stiffened. They had completely forgotten the other girls were there and the confusion their presence might bring.

“Err…”

Karma suddenly grabbed the paper and, pulling a lighter from nowhere, put it on fire. In a matter of seconds, all that was left from the list were ashes.

He then offered a mysterious grin to the girls. “Nothing.”

“The guys made a list!” exclaimed Ame. She was a bit of a sore loser. “They wrote down what— _oof_!”

She was cut off as a pillow was suddenly slammed into her face. As the boys holding her down finally rose back to their feet, she glared up at Karma, who simply replied with a not-so-innocent smile.

“What is it, A-me-chan~?”

“Ooh, you’re _so_ paying for that.”

She kicked his feet from under him. He fell on the floor with a groan, and she instantly grabbed his pillow before slamming it in his face.

“Take that!”

“Ugh!”

“Yosh! Pillow fight!” yelled Rio, throwing her own pillow in Maehara’s face.

“Oh, you’re on!” exclaimed the flirt.

And, before any of the students could truly understand what was happening, a real pillow fight began. Easily enough, it turned into a girls-VS-boys affair. None were holding back, everything was permitted, and all were using whatever skills they possessed to their advantage. Soon enough, though, their screams and laughter drew the attention of the teachers.

Karasuma opened the door, frowning. “What’s all that ruckus for?”

Instantly, everyone stopped moving, all pillows and bodies freezing in place. Not only were they supposed to be sleeping, but also boys weren’t allowed in the girls’ room either. They had been caught red-handed. However, still caught up in the moment, Ame didn’t notice the newcomer and threw her pillow at Karma. He took a step back to avoid it… and the projectile flew straight at the government agent, aimed directly at his face. He however caught it just in time though, now, the black-haired girl _did_ notice him.

A heavy silence ensued.

Ame let out a nervous chuckle. “Err… Pillow fight?”

Karasuma stared at her for a moment, then glanced around the room. It was an utter mess, and all of the students were panting and grinning and obviously having fun. He sighed internally. He had already imposed on their vacation too much, he could cut them some slack.

“Don’t make too much noise,” he simply said, before turning around to leave. He stopped in his tracks, though. “Oh, and Naoki?”

“Y- yeah?”

Without warning, he spun around and threw back the pillow at her. She got it right in the face, the strength of the blow making her fall back on the mattress. When she straightened up, though, the man was already gone and the door was closed.

“Wait… He didn’t say we had to stop!” suddenly exclaimed Okajima, hitting Okano with two pillows at once.

“Gah! This is war!”

And chaos ensued once again.

As all of the students started fighting again, Ame couldn’t stop herself any longer and started laughing. She knew that the trip would be interesting, but she hadn’t expected it to be so much fun! Thanks to that school trip, she had learned a lot on her classmates—her _friends_. It had taken a while but, finally… finally, Ame truly felt like she was part of the class.

So she kept on laughing. She was happy, so why bother hiding it?

* * *

.

.

The next morning, when Korosensei went to the boys’ room to wake them up, he almost had a heart attack. None of the male students were in their room! Panicking a little, he quickly went to check on the girls, only to find Irina and Karasuma standing in the doorway.

“Is everything all right?” he asked, quickly joining them. “The boys have gone… missing…”

He trailed off as understanding dawned on him. In the girls’ room were scattered all of the students. They were sleeping around or over each other, obviously tired but with small smiles on their faces.

“Could you let them sleep a little longer?” The three of them snapped their eyes to the girl who had just appeared behind them. “We all went to sleep pretty late last night.”

It was Ame. She was smiling softly, with a cup of coffee in her hands.

“Stop sneaking up on us like that!” scolded Irina, poking her forehead. The teen winced when rubbing the sore spot. “We’re pros, brat! We might react on reflex one day and hurt you by accident!”

“Sorry, sorry…”

“Were you awake for long, Naoki-san?” wondered Korosensei.

He easily noticed the bags under the girl’s eyes. She always had them, but they seemed more pronounced that day, though it probably was because she hadn’t covered them with makeup yet.

“An hour or two,” she shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. “I don’t sleep much. Say, you want some coffee? There’s still some left, and I can make more.”

“… Very well,” accepted Karasuma. “We’ll wake them up after.”

“I guess we can let them enjoy their vacation a while longer,” shrugged the blonde, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

“Niryufufufu! I’ll take you up on that offer as well, Naoki-san,” simply chuckled Korosensei.

* * *

.

.

The phone rang once. Twice.

At the third ring, someone picked up.

**“Sniper?”**

“… Yeah. One of yours gave me this card? Said to call if I was interested. You got a job for me?”

**“More or less. I’ll send you a location and a time to meet in Kyoto tomorrow. Think you can make it?”**

“Can’t you even tell me what I’m getting into?”

**“We are going to give you an offer in person. If you’re not interested once you’ve received the details, then you can walk. No consequences or conditions on your part. We’re really only asking for your time. We can even pay for your ride here.”**

“… Tche. It’s fine. Just send me the location already.”

**“See you then, Red Eye.”**

* * *

.

.

“I’m home!”

“AME-NEE!”

“Gah!”

The teen fell as six kids suddenly jumped on her. She groaned a little when hitting the floor, before chuckling and ruffling their hair. After a few seconds of hugging, the children finally released her and she got back on her feet.

“You brought us souvenirs?” instantly asked Kiba, before frowning. “Wait, what happened to your cheek?”

“Uh? Oh, I tripped and cut myself.”

“Ah! You’re such a klutz, Ame-nee!” he barked in laughter.

She lifted an eyebrow, unimpressed. “You’re saying this to the girl with your souvenir?”

“And I’m shutting up,” relented the boy. “Though can we please have them?”

“Please, please, please!” exclaimed Ash.

“What, no ‘welcome back’ for me?” then mused the teen, lifting an eyebrow.

“WELCOME BACK!” they instantly chorused.

Though they were all eyeing her bag with excitement because they knew Ame always brought back souvenirs. So, deciding not to tease them any longer, she gestured for them to settle in the living room. They instantly started running, making her roll her eyes a little.

“Welcome back, Ame-chan,” then greeted her grandmother, in the doorway. She was holding little Leo, who was already asleep. “Did you have fun on your trip?”

The black-haired girl brightened up at that. “It was great! We visited a lot of places and we met people from there and we had so much fun! I wish—“

“Ame-nee!” called Kiba, impatient. “Come on!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” she yelled back, before snorting. “Impatient brats…”

“You know they missed you,” laughed softly her caretaker.

“And I missed them too. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d rather hand out those souvenirs before they throttle me to get them themselves.”

Her grandmother swatted her arm, though she was too used to Ame’s rather dark sense of humor to really take offense to it. That simply made the girl laugh, before she quickly went to join the kids. As soon as she entered, they all sat on the couch straight and quiet, knowing it’d be faster if they didn’t start running around and screaming over each other.

“Okay, okay…” Ame pulled out a souvenir at random. “That one’s… for Amaya! There you go, sweetheart.”

The blue-haired girl smiled softly at the notebook. It was really beautiful, with flowers and golden paint. It was probably handmade, too.

“Thank you, Ame-nee.”

“Of course. Next is Jackie!”

“Yeah!”

He already knew what she had gotten him. Each time she brought back souvenirs, she bought a stuffed animal for him. He had started a collection, and she was only too happy to help him expand it. He hugged tightly the stuffed panda, too happy to formulate any words.

“Okay, who’s next?” asked impatiently Kiba, almost bouncing in his seat.

“Hmm…” She picked another souvenir, before grinning a little. “Not you! There you go, Ash!”

“Yeah!”

“Oh, come on!” whined the twelve-year-old boy.

Ignoring him, she handed over a small box to the younger girl. Ash gingerly took it, and her eyes started sparkling once she understood what was inside.

“Those are little bags of spices from all over, really. I know you wanted some of them for your recipes—“

“THANK YOU!”

“Ugh!”

Ame almost fell again when the little girl propelled herself into her arms like some sort of rocket. Putting her down, she laughed when the child almost instantly vanished into the kitchen to go and try out the spices. Shaking her head, she reported her attention on the two last kids before her. The brown-haired girl was as calm as ever, while the boy was obviously doing his best not to blow up.

_Okay, enough teasing._

“All right, so that one’s for Kiba, and that one’s for Rin.”

She gave them simultaneously. Kiba instantly whooped, jumping on the couch.

“A new ball! Neat!” he grinned, holding the basketball.

“Kiba, get down from there!” While the boy obeyed, Ame turned to Rin, who was now staring at the book she had just received. “Is it okay? I didn’t know if you already had it, so—“

“It’s perfect.” The ever-so-serious girl offered her a small smile. “Thanks, Ame-nee.”

“Sure thing. Anyway, all of you get lost and enjoy your souvenirs—“

She didn’t have to say it twice, they were all gone in a flash. Thoroughly amused, she then turned to her grandmother, who had been watching everything with a soft smile on her lips. In her arms, Leo was still sleeping soundly. Smiling too, Ame quickly joined them, before pulling out a little box from her pocket.

“I got something for you too, Obaa-san,” she announced, handing it over.

Her caretaker handed over the baby to her, and Ame gave her the box before carefully holding the boy. The older woman then opened her gift… and almost dropped it in surprise.

“Oh, Ame, you shouldn’t—“

“Please, Obaa-san. I wanted to.”

Nodding slowly, her grandmother pulled out the silver chain from the box. It was extremely simple, with a small jade hanging from it, on which was carved the kanji for ‘love’.

“Thank you, Ame.”

“No, thank _you_ , Obaa-san. Now, I’ll go and put Leo in his room. You take some time to relax, okay? Why don’t you go out tonight, go watch a movie or something? Isn’t there one you wanted to see?” she suggested. “I’ll take care of the kids.”

“If you’re certain… I know they wanted to pass some time with you,” agreed the woman, before kissing her cheek. “I won’t come back too late.”

At that, Ame rolled her eyes. “I know. Have fun!”

Obaa-san then left to get ready. Smiling once more, Ame then headed upstairs, careful not to jostle the sleeping child in her arms. She easily reached the room he was sharing with her grandmother, and gently put him in his bed. After making sure he wouldn’t wake up, she placed a small, round music box next to him. She opened it, letting the soft music fill the room, before leaving. The smile never left her face. In the end, she really _did_ miss them, even if they had only been apart for less than two days.

* * *

.

.

“Well, well, well! What a surprise! So, you got in?”

“Y- you!?”

The day following her return was free, and so Ame went to Headquarters to give a full report on the mission she more or less abandoned. It was kind of boring and they were usually rather loose on procedures, but they still needed to keep some kind of order in the group. When she got there, though, it was only to find none other than the sniper, Red Eye, lazing on the couch and staring at the shiny new ring now occupying his middle finger.

“You’re rather young to be part of a yakuza group,” he grunted, sitting up.

“And you’re getting older by the day, what’s your point?” she retorted, going to grab a soda in the small refrigerator.

That made him snort. He was still a little in a daze because of everything that had just happened so, in the end, knowing she was the one who recruited him didn’t really surprise him.

“Been in it for long?” he mused as she came to sit next to him.

She handed him a beer, which he hesitantly took. “A few years. Five? Nan, I think it’s more like seven… Anyway, I didn’t think you’d be so easily convinced. I mean, I gave you that card on a whim. Didn’t think you’d actually accept.”

“Well, working as a solo assassin can only get me this far,” he remarked, leaning back into the couch. “With that mission gone haywire back in Kyoto—“

“Not your fault. We’ve been trying to kill Korosensei for _months_ ,” she huffed.

“Well, I found myself looking back on my life and my expectations. I realized that… dying alone, wasn’t exactly something I wished for, even though I always knew it was part of the job.”

“Ah!” Her laugh startled him. “Don’t go giving up on life so easily. What, one failure can get you _this_ down? Look, Korosensei is an actual _monster_. You stood no chance against him, and nothing could have changed that.”

They stayed silent for a moment before he glanced back at her.

“Why recruit me? You didn’t even know what I looked like until now,” he pointed out.

“What? Of course I knew.”

“Uh?”

“Dude, we’re _info brokers_. You really think I wouldn’t have made my research on the assassin the government would engage for this mission?” Snorting, she finished her soda. “You’ve got great skills and I thought the group could benefit from your experience just like you can benefit from us. As I said, it really was on a whim. Well, that and I wanted someone new to join. You know, to stir things up a bit. It’s been a while since we got a new member.”

“… I see.”

Shaking her head, she rose back to her feet, an hand in her pocket as she turned to him.

“Look, I know it might be a little weird for you for a while, what with having been solo for the past decade or something,” she remarked. “But don’t stress on it too much. Everyone’s pretty independent anyway and you can still take your usual jobs. Being a member of the Zodiac doesn’t mean you have to stop being an assassin.”

“I… didn’t know that,” he admitted, surprised.

“Trust Hana to be thorough in her explications,” sighed Ame, though she was smiling. “Anyway, you’ve got your phone already?” The man held up said phone for her to see. The Zodiac gave phones to its members because it allowed them to communicated without being tracked down or listened to. “Cool, so you already got more or less everyone’s numbers. Call me if you need anything, okay? I kind of am the one who got you in this mess in the first place, after all.”

“Mess?” he mused.

She spread her arms theatrically. “A wonderful, immoral mess. Welcome aboard, Red Eye.”

She then extended her hand to him. The blond stared at it for a second. Then, he chuckled. Rising to his feet to truly face her, he grabbed it and firmly shook it.

“I believe I was given the name… Sasori.”

“Nice. I’ve got to go now, give a report and all, but I’ll see you around, okay?” With a wave, she started heading for the main office. “Oh, I’m Kitsune, by the way! You’ll find my number under that name.”

She was gone before he could reply. Staring down at his phone, he put it back in his pocket, before bringing his ring under the light. It glinted eerily, the stylized Z almost hypnotizing under the glow.

 _Welcome aboard, uh?_ Chuckling again, he fell back on the couch and took another gulp of his beer. _Guess things are bound to become interesting._


	10. Tenth Period: New Student Time

Ame was deep in thoughts, thinking of the group e-mail Karasuma had sent to everyone that very morning. A new student would be joining them, and there was no doubt that it was yet another government-issued assassin. However, for them to join the class meant they were more or less fifteen-years-old. Otherwise said, it was a teenager with skills more or less like hers. She’d have to toe that line carefully if she didn’t want to get found out. Having the teachers ignore it was easy because they had more important things to think about, but having a student who’d be able to keep an eye on her for hours…

_Yeah, not really comfortable._

All in all, she shouldn’t make too many waves until she got a better grasp on that new student’s personality. When she finally reached the class, though, it was only to find her fellow classmates surrounding a gigantic box with a screen. Curious, she approached.

_Could this be…_

The screen suddenly brightened. Then, a girl their age appeared on it.

“Good morning,” she greeted, her voice flat and robotized. “I am the Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery who will be joining your class. Nice to meet you.”

And she disappeared as quickly as she came. Ame sweatdropped a little. The government was growing desperate enough to send androids now?

_It’s dangerous, though. True, an artificial intelligence can’t hope to have the same versatility of mind as a normal human being, but it has access to a greater deal of information and can calculate and analyze situations to a degree us humans can only dream of. This… is going to be a pain. Interesting, sure, but also a real pain._

* * *

.

.

Karasuma was standing at the front of the class, writing something on the board. Ame had to bit back a small smile, easily noticing his shoulders shaking with barely restrained anger. The man obviously didn’t approve of the new student.

“As I’m sure you know, this is your new classmate—“ The chalk he was holding broke as he finished writing the name. “The Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery, from Norway.”

Hearing her name, the purple-haired program reappeared on the screen.

“Nice to meet you all,” she greeted flatly.

In the corner, Korosensei was doing his best to stifle his mocking snickers, to no avail. A vein started pumping on Karasuma’s forehead.

“Don’t laugh! You’re not better than her!” he snapped. He then turned to the box, an eye slightly twitching. “Just so you know, she’s registered here as a full-fledged student. She’ll be sitting there aiming her guns at you, but you can’t fight back. You’re not permitted to harm any student. That’s the deal, remember?”

“Ah, so you’re grasping at straws here, using creative readings of my teaching agreement to call a machine my student,” mused Korosensei. “Very well. Welcome to the E-Class, Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery.”

The girl reappeared. “Thank you very much, Korosensei.”

* * *

.

.

Ame was doing her best not to fall asleep in the middle of Japanese class, she really was. After all, she had promised herself she’d try harder in her studies after her utter failure in the midterms. Actually listening when she had lost the habit to proved harder than first planned, though. Growing a little distracted, she glanced at the machine in the back of the class. It still hadn’t attacked their teacher, and she was starting to wonder if it was going to make a move that day. Then again, it was still the first class, so it was probably still calculating the situation and analyzing different strategies—

_Wait, what’s happening!?_

Suddenly, the sides of the giant box opened, and two enormous shotguns and two machineguns burst out. Ame’s eyes widened in horror as the program aimed them at Korosensei.

_This is insane!_

It started firing. Almost instantly, Ame slapped her hands over her ears, her guts churning in dread. Despite the earplugs, she could still hear the gunshots, although much weaker than if she wasn’t wearing them.

She could still hear them echoing in her ears, though, even when the machine stopped firing. Just as she thought it was over, unfortunately, the “new student” started firing again. Gritting her teeth, she tried her best to focus on something else, but time seemed to stretch and the gunshots just wouldn’t stop why the fuck aren’t they stopping—

::

_“Ame, watch out!”_

_The gun fired._

::

Sweat covering her forehead, she harshly snapped her head up. She couldn’t see what was going on, she was focused on the need of leaving now. Grabbing her jacket, she was completely blind to the rest of the world as she left the class in a flash, completely forgetting about everything else. She didn’t hear as Rio and Korosensei called after her, all she could hear were the shots that only seemed to be getting louder. She didn’t see or feel as she practically ran into Karasuma and Irina, who had been standing outside the classroom to watch the progress of this new assassin. All she could see and feel was darkness, utter darkness that suffocated her and she couldn’t think clearly, her mind was stuck in a whirlwind and _damn it I can’t breathe why can’t I breathe—_

She stumbled into a wall. Her knees instantly buckled under her weight as she lost her balance. She slid down the wall, her hands still slapped tightly over her ears and her eyes opened wide even though she couldn’t see anything. She was breathing too fast for air to enter her lungs, her heart was beating so hard she was afraid it’d burst out of her chest and she felt so, _so sick…_

Completely cut off from reality, she didn’t notice the two teachers now kneeling beside her and trying to snap her out of it.

“What’s going on with her?” inquired Karasuma.

“Panic attack,” easily answered the woman next to him, thinking fast. “Triggered by the sudden assault, without a doubt. We need to calm her down.”

“Is she okay?” They snapped their eyes at Rio, who was now standing in the doorway, frowning. “What’s happening to her?”

The government agent sighed, getting up. “Go back to class and tell the octopus to continue. We’re handling Naoki’s case.”

“… Okay.”

The student returned inside, closing the door behind her. In the meantime, Irina had taken upon herself to try and snap the teen out of her daze. She was talking softly, holding the girl’s face to try and force her to look into her eyes. Ame was gone too far, though, and the gentle approach wouldn’t work. Sighing, Irina opened a ring she was wearing, in which was hidden a little needle. She planted it without hesitation in the girl’s neck. After a few seconds, the black-haired student stopped shaking and started swaying in place.

“What was that?” frowned Karasuma as Irina pulled away.

Ame fully stopped moving, her breathing still ragged but slowly returning to a normal pace. She was pale, though, extremely so.

“A light somniferous drug,” answered the pro assassin. “I usually use it on my targets, but I guessed it could work just as well in such a situation.”

“… I see. I’ll bring her to the teacher’s lounge. Can you inform the target of the situation?”

“Will do.”

Nodding, Karasuma then carefully picked up the girl, before heading for the teacher’s lounge. They didn’t have a proper nurse office on the E-Class campus but they _did_ have a couch, so it’d have to do for now. Once she was settled, Karasuma went to sit at his desk, thoughtful.

::

_“I can’t shoot,” she informed bluntly, straight to the point. “I know you expect us to learn all the basics of assassination, but shooting… I can’t do it.” She pulled out one of her earplugs to show him. “Korosensei made those for me since I can’t stand gunshots. However, holding them is a big no-no too.”_

::

He clearly remembered the day she had asked not to take part in the shooting class. She had been honest in her explication and he hadn’t insisted, but he hadn’t thought it was to such an extent. Naoki Ame was growing to be more and more of a mystery every day, and he didn’t know how he felt about that.

* * *

.

.

“Ugh…”

Ame slowly straightened up, her head throbbing painfully. The inside of her mouth felt pasty, and she honestly didn’t know how long she could resist the urge of throwing up.

“Oh, you’re awake already?” Irina was suddenly next to her, hands on her hips. “I expected you to be out for another hour or so. You’ve got a good immune system against drugs.”

“’Been trained to resist,” mumbled the teen, placing a hand against her head. She felt dizzy, and her mind was still a hazy mess, too. “What happened? I feel kinda sick…”

Irina narrowed her eyes at her. Had she heard her right?

“You’ve been trained to resist _what_?” she asked carefully.

“Drugs, poison, stuff… ‘Twas fun…” She rubbed her temples. “It hurt a lot, though… Gawd, what happened…?”

“I drugged you to force you out of a panic attack,” answered bluntly the woman, crossing her arms over her chest. “Do you remember anything?”

“Drugged me with that ring…?” Irina stiffened a little. How did the brat know about the ring’s true nature—“Hana got da same, too… Eh, maybe you’d get along?”

“… Who’s Hana?”

At the question, the teen’s face brightened.

“She’s ma bestie best friend! And ma mother and ma sister and I love her a lot lot lot—“

“That’s quite enough.” Irina jumped a little as Karasuma suddenly reentered the teacher’s lounge. “Don’t go taking advantage of her situation, Irina.”

“I wasn’t—I didn’t… She’s the one who started talking nonsense!” protested the woman.

“I don’t talk no nonsense, I know how ta keep ma mouth shut!” slurred the girl. She tried to get up but fell back on the couch. “That’s ma job, ya know?”

The two adults exchanged a look before Karasuma sighed in defeat. It was probably the only opportunity for them to actually learn something useful about the girl, even if it was slightly immoral to do so when she was clearly not in control.

“What’s your job?” finally asked the government agent.

“Eh? I keep secrets, duh!” A weird grin spread on her lips as she brought her finger against it. “SHHHHH!”

She started giggling, and the two teachers sweatdropped.

“… Irina, what kind of drug did you inject her with?”

“…. I may have exaggerated on the dose. My bad.”

Korosensei then entered the teacher’s lounge, sweating heavily. It was lunchtime at last, but the last few periods had been an absolute nightmare. He, however, stopped in his tracks when he found his fellow teachers sweatdropping and Ame still giggling on the couch and swaying in place.

“What…”

“Naoki had a panic attack, Irina drugged her to calm her down and now she’s acting as if she was drunk,” resumed Karasuma, rubbing his temples.

“… I see,” Korosensei sweatdropped too. “I will take her home.”

“Please do.”

“Woo, Korosensei!” beamed the black-haired girl, jumping to her feet. She, however, lost her balance and almost fell flat on her face, though two tentacles stopped her in time. “You’re the greatest teacher, ya know? I still don’t like school and stuff but I like ya a lot! And I like Karasuma-san and Bitch-sensei too and I’m gonna miss ya when the year’s over and stuff ‘cause then we’ll all be dead, ya know?”

She started laughing again, and the three teachers sweatdropped yet again.

“All right, Naoki-san, I believe it is time for you to go home and get some rest,” announced Korosensei, picking her up. “We’ll talk about this later—“

‘POP’

He stared at his now missing tentacle, startled, and barely escaped the two knives aimed at his head. Ame lowered her hands with a small scowl.

“You know, I’m starting to get _really_ tired of you avoiding my sneak attacks.”

…

…

…

“Y- you were all right this whole time!?” gasped Irina. “Then what you said—“

“Isn’t anything you should bother yourself with,” snorted the girl, picking up her weapons. “Yes, I was trained to resist drugs and stuff. Why? Because I wanted to. Again, why? ‘Cause it seemed fun. I do love someone named Hana, she’s like a second mother to me. Other than that, I didn’t reveal anything else, right?”

Irina was shaking with barely restrained anger. “You… You…” _How dare she make a fool out of me!?_

“You’ll have to try a little harder if you want to make me talk, Bitch-sensei,” remarked the black-haired teen, falling back on the couch. “Though I can’t believe it: Karasuma-san, taking advantage of one of your students like that? Shame on you, really.”

The man gritted his teeth a little, though didn’t answer. She had a fair point, after all. Snickering a little, Ame then reported her attention on Korosensei.

“So, is that offer for bringing me back home still holding?”

“Y- you tried to kill me!” spluttered the octopus, his tentacles wriggling around.

“That’s kind of the job we’ve been assigned, you know?”

“Oh, right.” He instantly calmed down, chuckling sheepishly. “You merely startled me. I can only praise you once again for your attempt. Though, I must make sure—“

“Yes, it was a real panic attack,” she confirmed, her smile dropping. She shoved her hands in her pockets. “When I told you I couldn’t handle guns, I wasn’t joking. And your earplugs were nice, but they won’t work anymore if that dumb machine’s still around.”

“I will see what I can do to upgrade them,” suggested Korosensei. “In the meantime, getting you home might be a good idea. I’m afraid I don’t have any immediate solution, and Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery will more than probably start firing during each period.”

The teen nodded in agreement. “Then let’s go. I’d rather not be around when it starts firing again.”

“Right.”

* * *

.

.

“I’m home!”

“Ame?” Obaa-san quickly joined her, frowning. “You’re home early! What happened?”

“I got sick in class, so the teacher sent me back home,” answered the teen, offering a tentative smile. “Just need some rest, don’t worry about it.”

“What? Of course I’ll worry about it! You’re going straight to your room and I’ll bring you something warm to eat,” ordered her grandmother. “You are _not_ putting one toe out of your bed until I tell you to, got it?”

Ame offered a military salute. “Yes, ma’am!”

The older woman swatted her hand and gestured for her to go to her room. All too happy to finally get some much-needed peace and space, the girl wasted no time in obeying. Staying in bed all day didn’t sound really appealing, but it was better than being in class with that stupid box around.

* * *

.

.

The next day, Ame called in sick. Korosensei didn’t bother going to check on her to make sure she wasn’t lying, considering he already knew she was. However, he had yet to find a solution to replace the earplugs, since he already had the matter of the machine to handle. So, deciding to let her be for today, he, however, gave a quick call to inform her that she would have to come in the next day. She grudgingly agreed, knowing she wouldn’t be able to get a better deal.

* * *

.

.

Ame showed up earlier the next day. Frankly, passing two days in bed had been hell, and she couldn’t wait to get out. She also wanted to see if there was any way to possibly reason with the machine. True, it was only a program, but it still had somewhat of a conscious since it learned so easily. Well, that and she had a virus Usagi had prepared for her.

_Now, to get it in before anyone else shows up…_

She entered the classroom and, in a few strides, found herself facing the box. It seemed bigger than two days ago, making her wonder if it meant it had grown ever stronger. Shaking her head to refocus, she approached… only to jump back as the screen was suddenly turned on. Contrarily to the first day, though, the screen was as big as the box, and on it was… the girl. Program. Thing.

“Good morning, Naoki-san!” it greeted cheerfully.

_… Okay, what the hell is going on?_

“I am so happy to see that you are back and in full health!” beamed the program.

“Just- just wait a minute,” replied Ame, pinching the bridge of her nose. “What’s going on? What… what happened to you? Hell, you look… almost human?”

“Korosensei has rearranged my program and has made me grow even stronger!” chirped the purple-haired girl. “He has made me understand the importance of cooperation in assassination!”

“... I see.”

“Also, I wished to deeply apologize to you, Naoki-san!” it then exclaimed. “I have hurt you, for which I am truly sorry. Please, forgive me!” And it bowed.

Ame scratched the back of her head. Whatever Korosensei had done obviously worked better than whatever virus she had been about to upload in the machine. It would have to do for now, though she’d keep it just in case things got out of hands again.

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” accepted the teen. “It’s not like I was mad anyway. Stuff like that is bound to happen in a classroom like ours.”

“If you wish, I could help provide you with psychological support—“

“Oookay, we’re not _that_ close, got it? And I don’t need ‘psychological support’. I don’t like guns, let’s keep it at that,” retorted the orange-eyed girl, going to sit. “To think I came in early too… Anyway, I’m going to take a nap. Just… don’t start shooting randomly and we’ll be cool, okay?”

“Okay!” The program smiled brightly, before turning itself off.

Still a little weirded out by this new development, Ame then decided to simply roll with it. It was better than the original machine, after all. Having nothing more to complain about, she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to catch some more sleep.

* * *

.

.

“Ame—“

“I’m okay, nothing happened, don’t insist.”

Rio stared at her friend for a moment, frowning a little, before sighing heavily and sitting at her own desk. She knew to ask would lead to no answers and an annoyed Ame, and it really wasn’t worth it. Her friend seemed fine, now, so she wouldn’t ask. Behind them, the rest of their classmates were now meeting the new version of the Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery.

“Don’t be fooled!” suddenly exclaimed Terasaka. “It’s all some program that octopus loaded up. It might act nice, but a machine’s a machine, and that machine is gonna be totally clueless when it attacks, that dumb box o’ bolts.”

The blue sky behind the purple-haired girl suddenly turned gray as the whole screen turned to face the pissed-off boy.

“I understand how you feel, Terasaka-san,” it then stated, the voice sorrowful. “I was like that, until yesterday. Box o’ bolts… I- I don’t know what to say…”

And it started raining on the screen, and the program started crying.

 _Count on Terasaka to make a machine cry_ , sweatdropped Ame.

“But don’t worry, everyone!” The Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery then wiped its tears as the rain stopped. “Korosensei taught me the importance of working together. I’ll hold off on my own assassination attempts until I have your consent! That way, you’ll come to like me.”

“So please, be nice to her,” then asked Korosensei, coming in. “Of course, although I may have given her certain upgrades, I didn’t lay a tentacle on her bloodlust. If you want to kill me, I imagine she’ll prove to be a formidable ally.”

While the students started talking again, thinking of the numerous advantages having the program on their side would bring, Korosensei discreetly handed a small box to Ame. She grabbed it under her desk and opened it, curious. There was a small paper placed on top of new earplugs, smaller than the last ones. She unfolded the paper, reading the message that was written on it.

_ I have created a new pair for you. They can block the sound of a rocket taking off, so I believe there should be no more troubles. If there are any issues, please inform me immediately. _

And there also was the drawing of a smiling octopus.

She looked back to her teacher and offered him a small smile and a nod in thanks, before quickly putting the earplugs in. She could still hear all of her classmates perfectly, but she trusted her teacher. She knew those things would do their job. So, more relaxed, she pulled out her textbook as Korosensei ordered everyone to return to their places so they could start the first period.

* * *

.

.

“—is it, Naoki-san?”

Ame blinked a few times. No matter how hard she had tried to focus, she completely lost track of the science lesson they were having.

“What?”

“I asked you: the retina contains long thin rods and short fat what?” he repeated patiently. “Answer without looking at your textbook.”

“It’s…” Ame blinked again as her eyes fell on the Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery, which was pointing at its leg on which the answer was written. “Cones. They’re cones.”

“Now hang on, Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery!” exclaimed angrily the teacher. “Don’t go slipping her the answer!”

“But sensei, you programmed me to give perks to my fellow students!” replied the program, confused.

“Cheating is not a perk!”

“Come on, Korosensei, don’t be so harsh,” mused Ame, leaning back in her seat with a smirk. “You told me to answer without looking at my textbook, and you programmed her to help us. You’re really the only one to blame here.”

Korosensei stared at her for a few seconds, before turning to face the blackboard. “I’m giving you more homework tonight.”

“What? Not fair!”

* * *

.

.

It was break time. The Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery was now gaining popularity with the students.

“She turned out to be really popular!” mused Sugino.

“She can do lots of things at once and make whatever she wants,” pointed out Kayano.

“Rats!”

At Korosensei’s exclamation, Ame turned to him, curious. “What is it?”

“Her character type is just like mine!”

“It’s really not,” sweatdropped the orange-eyed girl.

“Here I upgraded her, and now she’s eating into my popularity…” Their teacher slumped a little. He suddenly straightened. “Look, class! I can put on a human face too, you know! See? Change my skin color a little…”

Ame cringed as some sort of human face appeared on the octopus’ skin.

“That’s creepy!” exclaimed Mimura, as if reading her thoughts.

Korosensei instantly went to sulk in the corner.

“Hey, why don’t we pick a name for her?” then proposed Kataoka, drawing everyone’s attention. “Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery is a mouthful.”

“Sure is!”

“Let’s see…”

“Maybe take a part of that?”

“Jiritsu… I know!” exclaimed Fuwa. “How about Ritsu?”

“Ritsu…” repeated the program… the girl, lowering her eyes.

“Do you like it?” wondered Maehara.

“What do you think?” added Yada.

“Yes!” The new student beamed at them. “I love it! Please: call me Ritsu!”

_That’s cute and all, but I seriously doubt whoever built her is going to accept that new program, sighed internally Ame. They’re going to try and turn her back again, and she won’t be able to do anything about it. As Terasaka said, a machine’s a machine, after all. Even with a virus or something…_

Ame’s eyes widened slightly.

 _A virus! That’s it! The one Usagi made won’t work, it was made to destroy her initial program. But, if I put a key, Usagi can take control and hide away the one Korosensei gave her, thus saving her “consciousness”. I could then put in the virus and have whoever her Master is focus on that part instead of the protected information._ She narrowed her eyes a little _. I’ll have to act fast, though. There’s no doubt whoever created her already knows something is up, so I’ll have to make my move as soon as school is over and everyone’s gone._

She started texting Usagi. There was no time to lose.

* * *

.

.

Ame was the first one out of the classroom once the last bell rang, warning Rio to leave without her because her job called for her. However, as soon as she stepped foot in the forest, she diverted from the path and quickly made her way around the E-Class mountain. Once there, she climbed into a tree and settled comfortably on a branch high enough to see the classroom using her goggles. She waited there for an hour and a half. Not moving nor making a noise, she simply watched from afar until Korosensei, Karasuma and Irina left too.

Once she was certain everyone was gone, she quickly climbed down and ran back up the mountain. She reached the class ten minutes later or so. As soon as she stepped inside, the screen on the box brightened and Ritsu appeared.

“Naoki-san!” she greeted. “Have you forgotten something?”

“Actually, I’m here for you.” Ame went to stand before her, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ll cut to the bullshit right now: we both know your creators are coming over as we speak, and they’re going to turn you back into a lifeless machine. Unfortunately, we can’t do anything about this.”

“But Korosensei has upgraded me. He has made me even stronger,” pointed out Ritsu, confused. “Why would my Master not approve?”

“Because you’re no longer a killing machine solely focused on the assassination,” replied bluntly the teen. “And look, having you on our side could be a pretty great advantage. Plus, as you are now, you’re more than just a robot. Whatever Korosensei did to you worked, and you’ve developed an actual consciousness. You’ve realized it too, haven’t you?”

Ritsu lowered her eyes. “… yes. But what- what can I do? I cannot disobey my Master. I must do what he asks of me—“

“Ritsu, parents don’t always know what’s best for us,” retorted Ame, rolling her eyes a little. _I can’t believe I’m treating her like an actual person, but might as well go all the way now._ “As children, it’s our place to learn by ourselves too, be it through our successes and our failures. Look, I’m here to help you so that you don’t become a good little box o’ bolts again. Whether you decide to accept my help is up to you, but you have to choose now. We don’t have much time.”

The purple-haired girl bit her lower lip, before nodding slowly. “Very well. Please, do what you must. I trust you, Naoki-san.”

At that, a small smile graced Ame’s lips. “You got it.”

* * *

.

.

“Good morning, everyone.”

All of the students stared in mild horror at Ritsu, who had returned to her original Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery persona. They didn’t really understand what happened, but the cheery program was gone and back to its original state with its one-track mind: assassination.

“The deal is that you do no harm to any of your students, but now upgrades will be considered ‘harm’,” announced Karasuma to Korosensei, drawing everyone’s attention. He then turned to the students. “The same goes for you. If you tie her up or break her, you’ll be asked to pay damages. These are her owners’ wishes. We have to comply.”

“Owners?” repeated Korosensei, thoughtful. “I don’t know. I’d like to put my student’s feelings first, not her parents’.”

But a deal was a deal. Ritsu had been downgraded, and no one would be allowed to change that. Ame simply bit back a smile, though.

_It’ll be fine._

* * *

.

.

All of the E-Class students were tensed, anticipating the moment Ritsu would begin her day-long assaults. They couldn’t pay attention to the lesson, too focused on when those dreaded attacks would begin. Suddenly, the screen brightened and numerous numbers started scrolling on it, warning everyone that the first assault was about to begin. The sides opened, and all closed their eyes, knowing the guns were going to start shooting any seconds—

‘POP’

There was a moment of silence. Then, everyone gaped as flower petals started flowing in the classroom: bouquets had come out instead of guns.

“I promised I’d make flowers,” then remarked flatly Ritsu. “Korosensei made 985 improvements to my body. My master judged most of them irrelevant to assassination and removed them, deleted them, and restored my factory defaults,” she explained. “However, Naoki-san added one protection and one virus before it came to this. Thanks to her help, I have managed to hide all the information I deemed relevant or wished to conserve inside a piece of software that went completely undetected. Using the virus, the software that was unprotected was destroyed, forcing my Master to focus on restoring my initial data instead of finding the information I hid away.”

“R- Ritsu-san, then that means—“

“Yes!” The joyful purple-haired girl was suddenly back on the screen. “I have defied my Master of my own free will! Thank you for your help, Naoki-san.”

“Sure thing, Ritsu,” shrugged the teen, leaning back in her seat. “Though, just call me Ame. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“What—how?” protested Rio, about to rip her hair out in frustration. “How did you know? Since when can you work with technology? How can you always be so fricking cool!?”

Ame snorted, crossing her arms behind her head. “You know me, Rio. I’m just that amazing and perfect at everything— _crap!_ ”

The black-haired girl fell on the floor with a groan. Karma snickered, pulling back his leg, which he had used to knock the chair from under her. The class started laughing, and she glared at the red-haired boy.

“You’re an absolute jerk.”

“And you’re starting to grow an ego,” he replied, smirking. “Deflate your head a little, else you won’t pass the doors anymore.”

Before she could answer, Karma’s chair was suddenly knocked from under him, making him fall on the floor in a similar fashion. Ame blinked a few times, surprised, before beaming at Ritsu.

“Wow, thanks, Ritsu!” She got up and extended her hand to Karma to help him up. He grabbed it, rolling his eyes, and she smirked. “See, Karma? That’s what real friends do: they got your back and kick down assholes for you.”

“Hey, I helped bringing you back down on Earth!” he protested in an innocent tone. “You’re welcome, really.”

She swatted his arm, making him laugh a little. She too was smiling, though.

* * *

.

.

Ame was hanging out at Headquarters, having nothing better to do and hoping she’d be able to annoy a mission out of Hana. She hadn’t run into anyone yet, though, not even Usagi, which was unusual in itself.

Her phone started ringing.

“Yes!”

She pulled it out of her pocket… and almost had a heart attack. Screaming, she practically launched her phone to the other side of the room. It met the wall, leaving a dent into it, and it then fell on the floor. After a few seconds, she carefully got up and went to pick it up. Slowly, she checked the screen again… only to find _Ritsu_ , smiling brightly at her.

“Hello, Ame!” greeted cheerfully the conscious program.

“Ritsu!” The black-haired girl returned to the couch, exhaling deeply. “What da hell? Ya scared the crap outta me!”

“I’m very sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you!” she apologized.

“Ugh, it’s fine. What is it?”

“Well, I was merely wondering if you had told our classmates and Korosensei about you being a member of the Zodiac—“

“Fuck! Shit! Fuck! _What_?” Ame was this close to throwing her phone again. “What da hell, Ritsu!? How the—how did ya even find that? How’d you know? Fuck, fuck, fuck…”

“Oh, so you have not,” realized the purple-haired girl, blinking in surprise.

“No, I haven’t! God, fuck…”

This was a first. It was a first, and Ame was very far from liking it. _No one_ was supposed to know about the Zodiac. Hell, they were supposed to be invisible, and having a government program with a conscious now aware of the most secretive yakuza group was not a good thing.

Damn it, it was her own _classmate_!

 _I screwed up_ big _time._

“Ritsu,” she let out, breathing in and out to try and calm down. “Ritsu, you can’t tell _anyone_ , got it? This is—this isn’t a joke. You can’t tell our classmates or Korosensei or Karasuma-san or Bitch-sensei or your Master— _no one_ , got it? This… this could be dangerous, for me and everyone else.”

“… You have greatly helped me, Ame,” then remarked the purple-haired girl. She beamed at her. “And as you said so, we’re friends, right? I’ll keep your secret.”

Relieved, Ame exhaled deeply. “Thank you.”

“Of course! And who knows, maybe I can even be of some help to the group!”

At first surprised by the offer, Ame then thought it over. Having Ritsu helping the Zodiac could _actually_ be really helpful.

“… You know what? I’ll put you in touch with Usagi. I think he’s going to like you.”

“Great!”

* * *

.

.

“… like?”

Ame cringed a little at Usagi’s blank tone. She had finally managed to find him (he was actually sleeping in the debriefing room) and explained the whole situation to him. On the screen on the wall, Ritsu was simply smiling at him.

His expressionless face suddenly brightened. “Like? I think I’m in _love_!”

“That’s… great?”

“Ooh, I can’t wait to get started!” The man pulled out his computer and started typing so fast Ame couldn’t follow the movements with her eyes. “This is the beginning of a great partnership! All of the possibilities, all of the doors we can now open…”

He started ranting, now lost in his own little world, and Ame offered a tentative smile at the purple-haired program.

“Err… welcome aboard?”

Ritsu simply beamed at her again. “Thank you!”

Ame simply sweatdropped _The year is getting weirder by the day._


	11. Eleventh Period: Living Time

“So, how’s it going with Ritsu?”

“She’s doing great!” replied Usagi, grinning. “We’re a fantastic team, seriously.”

“And how’s your project coming along?”

“Not as far as I’d like,” he admitted, not losing his grin. “But then again, a project like that one is bound to take a while. But it’s fun, so there’s that!”

Ame chuckled a little. When Usagi first told her about the project he had started working on with Ritsu, she hadn’t expected him to actually go through with it. He had been more than a little drunk when he got the idea, so she thought he would have forgotten when morning came. He didn’t forget, though, and he was now dedicating his time both to his creation and to his usual work, and Ritsu was helping him as much as she could. Though, honestly, having one of her classmates know about her work with the Zodiac still made her a little uncomfortable: she checked her phone as soon as she woke up each day to make sure no info had leaked out. But after two weeks or so, Ritsu still kept her word, thus easing Ame’s mind a little.

“Well, I gotta go now. Call me if you need anything,” she announced, heading out.

The man didn’t even answer, too caught up in his work.

* * *

.

.

Ame burst into the restaurant and instantly went to hide behind the counter. The usual customers were too used to her sudden appearances by now to really make a fuss about it, and the other waiters simply let Isogai handle it.

“You know, I’m starting to wonder if you’re not provoking them on purpose, Ame-san,” the boy pointed out, simply drying some of the dishes behind her.

“What can I say? They love me,” she replied, checking the windows. A few of the men chasing her passed by without even bothering to look inside. “Whew, that was a tad too close.”

“Why don’t you tell me why they’re after you?” then wondered her class rep. “Maybe I could help.”

“You can’t,” she assured, relaxing a little. “Trust me on that. Plus, I can take care of myself. These oafs won’t ever be able to even graze me.”

“If you say so,” he shrugged, giving up. “The table in the back is free. Do you want your usual?”

At that, she rose to her feet and grinned. “You know me too well.”

* * *

.

.

“I understand what you mean, but it still feels wrong,” explained seriously Irina, in teacher mode. She then turned to the rest of the class. “Don’t run from your incompatibilities—master them! I’ll be checking your pronunciation regularly from now on, and if you screw up your L’s and R’s, I’ll punish you with a French kiss in public.”

Ame sweatdropped a little. The pro assassin was finally getting the hang of teaching, but her methods were still a little unorthodox. Of course, the teen was far from complaining. That woman was probably one of the best English teachers they could have gotten, considering her experience. Plus, she was giving excellent advice probably without even noticing it.

“Don’t run from your incompatibilities—master them!”

A small smile settled on Ame’s lips as she glanced outside.

* * *

.

.

“So, you ready for the quiz tomorrow?” wondered Rio.

“For the first time in my entire life, I can say ‘yes’ and actually mean it,” snorted Ame.

“Wow. So you’re actually gonna start taking things seriously?”

“Yeah. I’m not planning on falling behind everyone else. Plus, I’ll show those bastards from the other classes that the E-Class can kick their asses too!”

“Ah! You’re really fired up, aren’t ya?” laughed her friend. “Anyway, I should probably study some more myself. You sure you’ve got everything?”

“Yup!” Ame pulled her textbook out of her bag. “I’ve got my book on civics— _aaaand_ I’m now realizing I actually grabbed the science textbook. Fuck my life.”

Rio snorted. “Go figures. What are you gonna do now? I can send you pictures if you want.”

“No need, I’ll go back to class and grab it,” refused the black-haired girl, changing directions to head back to the school. “I’m not that far yet anyway. Plus, I’m done taking the easy way out.”

“If you’re sure… Well, I really gotta go now, but give me a call if you change your mind.”

“Will do. Thank, Rio.”

“Sure thing.”

The blonde hung up, and Ame quickly texted her grandmother to warn her she would come back late. Once done, she started walking faster. Going back all the way up to the classroom was a pain, but it’d teach her to pay more attention next time.

 _The easy way out is for the cowards_ , she told herself. _And I’m done being a coward who backs down at each obstacle. As Bitch-sensei said, I’ve got to stop running and start mastering._

* * *

.

.

Ame slipped into the classroom using one of the windows since it was faster than going in using the door. She quickly grabbed the textbook she needed in her desk, this time actually checking if she had the right one. She was then about to leave as quickly as she came when a choked sound from the hallway echoed.

 _Danger_.

Fast and silent, she peeked outside the classroom, only to find none other than Irina caught in a snare trap and obviously unable to get out alone. There was a man with a long, dark overcoat standing just behind her and talking in a language she failed to understand.

_Is he here to kill Bitch-sensei? Why? What does he want with her?_

Not thinking straight, she grabbed three of her pocketknives and threw them at once. The first one cut the rope from which her teacher was dangling, thus freeing her and letting her fall on the floor. The second one embedded itself at the man’s foot, while the third one flew for his face. At the last second, he caught the blade, just between his eyes. The man narrowed said eyes at the classroom door through which the knives had been thrown… but no one was to be seen—whoever had attacked him and freed the woman was now gone.

“Who are you?” Karasuma suddenly stepped out of the teacher’s lounge. “What are you doing?”

The mysterious man knew it wasn’t that agent’s doing, though. The person who had just attacked him was already far by now.

_… Interesting._

* * *

Ame let out a shaky breath she hadn’t even realized she had been holding. She didn’t think things through when she threw her knives, all she could focus on at the time was that her teacher was in danger and that she needed help but now that she was in the clear, she could think more rationally.

_This is crazy! Whoever that guy is, he’s strong! He’s another assassin, that much is obvious, but that means it could blow my cover! It’s already hard enough with Korosensei, Karasuma-san, and Bitch-sensei, but now that?_

Shaking her head, Ame kept on running. She’d pass the night at Headquarters and try to find a solution for this new problem.

* * *

.

.

“The guy you’re looking for is Lovro,” answered Red Eye once she was done describing the man.

“Lovro?”

“Aa. He’s a retired assassin who now makes a fortune training younger assassins and having them hired. He works for the government…”

The blond man trailed off as he watched the girl pull out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and light one, before bringing it to her lips and breathing in deeply.

“You smoke?”

“Not daily. Just when shit like that comes up,” she muttered, crossing an arm over her chest and shuddering a little. “Fuck, that was scary…”

“Yeah, he can be pretty intense. Knowing him, he’s not going to out you or anything, though,” shrugged the newest member of the Zodiac. “He wouldn’t gain anything by blowing your cover.”

“So he’s not going to try and kill me either?”

“I don’t think so.”

“… well, better than a definitive ‘yes’, I guess.”

Sighing heavily, Ame breathed in the smoke one last time before throwing away her cigarette. She then went to lay down on the couch.

“That was way too close. Do you think he’s gonna suspect a student?” she wondered.

“Maybe not at first, but if he’s still around tomorrow…” Red Eye shrugged again. “Well, you kind of lost the habit of hiding what you can do, haven’t you? Even when we first worked together in Kyoto, I noticed you jumping from roof to roof.”

“Oops?”

“Just lay low for the next few days,” he concluded. “That’s really all I can tell you.”

“It’s more than enough. Thanks, Red Eye.”

“Whatever helps.”

* * *

.

.

The next morning, when she met up with Rio on the way to school, the blonde grinned at her.

“So, you actually studied?”

Ame stiffened. Then facepalmed.

“Damn it! I completely forgot!”

_And to think I went back to get the damn textbook too…_

Rio simply patted her shoulder in comfort. “Guess old habits die hard, uh?

Ame simply groaned in defeat.

* * *

.

.

All of the students had been gathered on the field outside for the gym class. Once they were done, though, Karasuma sat them down and explained to them a rather peculiar situation: Irina’s teacher was there and the two assassins had a bet going on. Whoever killed Karasuma first would be deemed the best assassin. It seemed rather childish when explained that way but they had to keep in mind that, if Irina lost, then she would more then probably leave.

Ame didn’t really know how to feel about that.

“And there you have it,” concluded Karasuma. “Expect some disruptions today, though your classes should remain unaffected. Carry on as you usually do.”

As if on cue, Irina suddenly showed up. Ame winced a little as the woman turned on her seduction skills. Since they all knew her and her tactics, only an idiot would actually fall for that. And, let’s be real: Karasuma was far from being an idiot. So, he simply ignored the drink she was handing him and returned inside.

“Bitch-sensei…”

“You’d never even fool us with that,” pointed out Mimura.

“What do you expect?” protested angrily the woman. “There’s no natural way to fake-seduce someone you already know!”

 _Wow, she’s already giving up? Maybe I should try putting her in touch with Uma…_ But Ame instantly refrained the thought with a cringe. _Those two together? Ew. No. Not happening. Ew, ew, ew._

Shaking her head, she was about to ask Rio about the quiz when startled exclamations and Kayano’s scream echoed in the back. Surprised, everyone turned around, only to find a knife embedded in the ground between Kayano, Sugino, Nagisa, and few others. Ame kept a cool face but, inside, she was freaking out.

 _This is one of the knives I threw yesterday! Did Lovro pick them up? Is he trying to lure me out using them?_ Her eyes widened a little in understanding. _He’s testing the students to see who’ll react properly. Those guys were easily startled, so they’re already out, but I’ll unconsciously sense them coming and so faking such a reaction will be hard…_

“Where the hell did that come from?” wondered Maehara, picking up the knife.

“The woods, but I didn’t see who threw it,” answered Mimura, checking out said woods.

“You think it’s Bitch-sensei’s teacher?” proposed Okajima.

“But why would he attack us?” wondered Ame, playing along for now. “We’re not his target, right?”

Everyone else simply shrugged, and Maehara kept the knife. Ame didn’t say a word, knowing she’d simply take it back later, once Lovro was gone for good. Everyone then headed back inside for the second period of the day.

* * *

.

.

Ame watched as Lovro tried to attack Karasuma. He was fast, extremely so, but she had gotten used to Korosensei’s speed and so she wasn’t that startled. Now that she knew what she knew, she wasn’t as scared as yesterday. In the end, though, he failed to touch the government agent with his knife. Ame bit back a smile when understanding how strong their teacher actually was.

_They’ve got no chance._

Karasuma left… and Lovro gave up. Ame almost danced in victory at that, understanding he would be gone by tomorrow. Now, all that was left was for Irina to kill Karasuma, and everything would end well. It’s only once Lovro left the room that Ame allowed herself to relax, though, and she exhaled in relief. While she wasn’t scared shitless, she was still wary. The guy was a master assassin who managed to _retire_ : that meant he was strong enough to survive long enough for him to retire, and that was something not many got to do in that line of work. A moment later, Irina left too, after being cheered up by Korosensei. Once the door closed behind her, the octopus lifted his head, and his eyes met Ame’s.

“Learned something interesting, Naoki-san?”

“Aa.” The teen jumped down from her perch, easily landing on her feet. “That Lovro guy… He’s strong. He wouldn’t be able to kill you, though.”

“Ooh? Why do you think?”

“From what little I’ve seen, his strength is his speed and his surprise attacks,” shrugged Ame. “You’re faster than him, you can easily detect traps and, once his attack pattern is figured out, he’s not worth much either. If you know what to expect, it’s easy to turn it against your opponent.”

“I see. Then what about Irina-sensei?”

“She’s made for seduction, infiltration, and assassination in point-blank range,” resumed the black-haired teen. “Once her cover is blown, there’s nothing much she can do. However, she’s learned flexibility while working here as a teacher. So, between her and Lovro… I think she’s got better chances at killing Karasuma-san—and you, too.”

“Niryufufufu! I completely agree, Naoki-san,” nodded her teacher, patting her head. “Though, if I may: you should stop eavesdropping of the sort. Surprising assassins is never a safe idea.”

At that, the teen laughed a little. “Unless you don’t get caught, right?”

Her teacher could only laugh too. “True enough.”

* * *

.

.

The students were eating in the classroom when a knife suddenly embedded itself in the desk, just before Kimura. There were yelps of surprise as everyone looked around for the thrower, but found no one.

Ame gritted her teeth.

_Only one knife left. He won’t find me using that trick._

“Ooh, look at that.”

At Karma’s voice, the students forgot about the little incident and all went to the windows. Outside, they could now see Irina facing Karasuma, a rubber knife in hand.

“She’s going at it!”

“Head on, uh?”

“She doesn’t stand a chance. Karasuma-san isn’t going to fall for that,” remarked Maehara, crossing his arms behind his head.

But Ame smirked a little. “A thousand yen Bitch-sensei wins.”

At that, the orange-haired boy narrowed his eyes. “You’re on.”

They shook hands to seal the deal, before reporting their attention outside. It would seem Karasuma was simply letting her win, but they all knew it was a trap so that he could get rid of the woman’s knife more easily. At the last moment, though, Irina pulled on the snare trap she had set up and managed to take him by surprise, before jumping on him and bringing her knife down. Her target, however, managed to grab the handle at the last moment, and both found themselves struggling: one trying to stab, and the other trying to avoid being stabbed.

_Come on, Bitch-sensei! I know you can do it!_

And then, Karasuma let go and Irina managed to get him in the chest.

“Wow!”

“She got him!”

“Ah!” The teen turned to Maehara, extending her hand. “Pay up!”

“Fine, fine…” he grumbled, handing over the money.

She laughed a little, quickly putting it in her pocket. She’d probably pick up some sweets on the way home for the kids.

* * *

.

.

Ame was heading home when her guts churned painfully. Listening to her instincts, she dropped to the ground, and a loud ‘THUD’ echoed just to her right. Lifting her head, she found a knife embedded into the street pole just next to her.

_My knife. It’s one of my knives._

Slowly, she straightened up and glared at the alleyway to her left.

“Come on out already, Lovro-san.”

After a few seconds of stillness, the shadows moved and Lovro casually stepped out of the alleyway. He stopped once only a few meters were left between the two of them.

“You’re the one who freed my dumb apprentice yesterday,” he stated blankly.

“I am. I thought you were going to kill her,” she confirmed in the same tone.

“Then why’d you run?”

“Because I’m not an idiot?” Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the handle of her knife and pulled it out with practiced ease. “You could have killed me in the blink of an eye. You still can. The only reason I’m not running right now is that I know that you have nothing to gain from killing me.”

“Smart girl.” His eyes then landed on her ring. “Aa. I see. I was not aware the Zodiac recruited children now.”

She tensed at that, before forcing herself to relax. Considering the guy’s reputation, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he knew about the Zodiac.

“They don’t. I’m the exception. So, was there anything you actually wanted to talk about, or can I go? ‘Cause I’ve got places to be, people to see…”

“I can train you. The Zodiac is one thing, but you are a natural,” he replied seriously, somewhat startling the girl. “You have the skills and the potential of a great assassin—“

“Thanks, but no thanks,” she cut him off, starting to walk again. “I do a lot of things, Lovro-san, most of which is illegal and immoral, but I’m not a killer.”

“You could be.”

“I don’t _want_ to be. Anyway, I hope you won’t linger around too much. It’s nothing personal, but you’re kind of creeping me out,” she remarked offhandedly. “And I’m guessing you know who to contact if you wish to make use of our services. So, good day to you, sir.”

Lovro watched girl leave. Her feet didn’t make a single noise as they met the sidewalk and he knew that, was he to look away for even a second, she could completely vanish from his sight.

_What a waste of potential…_

However, he knew he wouldn’t be able to change her mind. She had the skills, but not the bloodlust. She wasn’t cut out to be an assassin, but he could guess she was the perfect candidate for being a member of the oh-so-elusive Zodiac.

 _Well, you always knew how to spot the bests, Saru_ , he mused internally. _And how to keep secrets too. Maybe it’s time we had a drink, old friend._

* * *

.

.

“Kitsune in position.”

**“Hebi in position.”**

**“Usagi in position.”**

**“Sasori in position.”**

Kitsune glanced through the window. Inside, the dealers were almost done.

“Operation: start,” she ordered.

Hebi threw a small gas bomb at the entrance, distracting the dozen of guards at the entrance. Sasori started taking down those who weren’t knocked out by the gas, and Kitsune used the opportunity to slip in through the window. Carefully climbing down, she then made her way to the safe in the back of the room and planted a key in the code reader. Usagi instantly started working on it from headquarters.

**“Almost there, almost there, almost there—Ah ah! Got it!”**

“Roger.”

The teen opened the safe and grabbed two of the duffel bags in which was the money they had been aiming for.

“Hebi, Sasori, three more bags inside, I can’t take all of them,” she warned.

 **“I’m coming, just give me a moment,”** replied the red-haired woman.

 **“Coming,”** simply announced the sniper.

“Oi! Drop the bags and put your hands behind your head!”

Kitsune didn’t hear the distinct click of a gun since she was wearing her special earplugs, but she could guess whoever yelled the order was aiming a weapon at her head. So, slowly, she put down the two bags and placed her hands behind her head.

“Now turn around! And no wrong move, got it?”

She turned around… and threw four of her knives at the first guy. Two disarmed him while the other two got him right in the shoulders. She instantly darted forward before the other four could react and knocked one out with his own baseball bat, before stabbing the third one in his tight. As he howled in pain, she grabbed his head and brought it down on the table corner, resulting with a loud crack (she didn’t know whether it was the table or the guy’s head, but she’d rather not check). The fourth one tried to shoot her, but she let herself slid on the floor and stabbed him in his foot as she passed between his legs, before kicking his rear and making him fall. As she rose back to her feet, though, she found the barrel of a gun right in her face.

_Keep calm. It’s cool. Just a gun. Just a gun, right in your face, that’s about to kill you—_

Some specks of blood suddenly splattered on her masked face… and the guy dropped dead. She stared at his corpse for a few seconds, startled.

 **“Got him. You okay, Kitsune?”** then asked Sasori.

“… Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

Hebi suddenly burst inside. “We’re taking the bags and leaving now. One of them called for backup,” she warned.

Nodding, Kitsune wasted no time in picking up the bags she had left behind before running outside, soon followed by her teammate. Sasori was already at the door.

Kitsune grinned at him, even though he couldn’t see it. “Wanna do the honors?”

He shot an unsure glance at the woman next to her, who simply shrugged.

 **“Go for it, man!”** cheered Usagi.

Shaking his head, Sasori then grabbed a card in one of his pockets and threw it on the ground. Kitsune cheered, but the moment was soon forgotten as many cars suddenly appeared in the distance.

“Split and meet up?” proposed Hebi, handing one of the three bags she was holding to their new member.

“Copy that. See you guys at Headquarters!” nodded Kitsune.

The other two nodded, before the three split up in different directions, leaving behind them a few corpses, an empty safe and a black card with the white drawing of a scorpion, under which was written a single word.

_ZODIAC_

* * *

“The movie was great, but did he have to ask us to do… homework…”

Karma trailed off as he suddenly noticed a shadow moving quickly from tree to tree just ahead of them. It was gone in almost the blink of an eye, but it _had_ been there.

“Karma-kun?” blinked Nagisa, confused.

“… It’s nothing. Anyhow, as I was saying…

* * *

.

.

“So, you gave your first card. We’ve got to celebrate this!” exclaimed Ame.

“I believe we should celebrate the fact that you just brought back a ton of money first,” remarked giddily Devit, still counting the bills.

Devit, aka Ratto, was the one in charge of the finances and paychecks of the group and its members. He was also the one who handled the contracts with their clients to get a maximum of profits. He was an ex-thief who had broken into more than two hundred banks around the world before the police finally caught him. They had to shoot him in the leg for that, though, and so Devit could no longer go out on the field. When he somehow managed to break out of jail, he was found by Saru, who recruited him to take care of the money problems the group was having, and they only got richer ever since.

Hana suddenly came back with two packs of sake bottles.

“Ame’s right, we gotta celebrate. That was your first mission, and it was a great success,” she praised, handing over a bottle to Red Eye.

“It was… different,” mused the man, accepting the drink. “I could get used to this kind of work.”

“And _I_ could get used to this kind of after-mission,” retorted Usagi, grabbing two bottles for himself.

“Amen to that!” exclaimed Ame, picking one up.

The bottle was instantly taken out of her grasp by Hana, though.

“Aw, come on!” protested the teen. “Just a sip!”

“You’re only fifteen. I am _not_ letting you get drunk,” retorted the red-haired woman, offering her another drink. “Take the bubble tea and enjoy it.”

“Ugh, fine. But once I hit twenty, you won’t be able to stop me anymore!”

Hana roughly ruffled her hair at that. “Just drink your bubble tea and shut up, brat.”

Rolling her eyes, Ame simply did as told. As she watched the other members relax and laugh, though, she couldn’t help but agree with Usagi: she, too, could get used to this kind of after-mission.


	12. Twelfth Period: Questions Time

Lying on her bed, Ame read the message she had received earlier for the sixth time. Well, technically, it was a message sent to Karasuma, but Usagi had managed to pirate the man’s computer and thus link the e-mails without him noticing, meaning she received whatever message he received.

_Another new student, uh?_

That message was one warning Karasuma of the arrival of their “long-awaited favorite”. Ame wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Sure, it turned out all right with Ritsu, but it had been an extremely close call. What would that new student be like? How would he or she try to assassinate Korosensei?

_I need to be ready for anything._

She had been taken by surprise by Ritsu. She wouldn’t let it happen again.

* * *

.

.

“All right, class, it is time to begin homeroom. Please take your seats.”

The students hesitantly did as told, all of their attention fixated on Korosensei, who’s head seemed to have… inflated, of a sort. It was really, really big, like a balloon about to burst.

“Korosensei, your head is approximately thirty-three percent larger,” informed Ritsu, as confused as everyone else. “Please explain.”

“Ah. It’s soaked up all this moisture, thanks to the high humidity,” answered their teacher.

Ame narrowed her eyes at that. It was yet another weakness that could prove useful. Would salt water have the same effect? Was it only his head or also his tentacles? His bigger head meant a bigger target, and it probably slowed him down, too. If they were to push him in a pool or drop large quantities of water on him, then they’d probably actually stand a chance against him!

_I’ll bring it up to everyone else later._

Korosensei started wringing his own head, which was a little weird to watch, and started getting rid of all the water and moisture that had accumulated in it. He was done a minute later, and he finally faced his class again, his head back to normal.

“Karasuma-san tells me another transfer student is coming,” he then announced.

No one really reacted, though. They kind of expected it, to be honest.

“I got into a little trouble taking Ritsu-san too lightly last time,” pointed out the octopus. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

_Me neither. I’m ready._

“In any case, it’ll be nice for you to have someone else on your side,” concluded their teacher.

“Ne, Ritsu, have you heard anything about that student?” then wondered Hara, turning to her classmate. “You know, as a fellow transfer assassin.”

“Yes, a little,” confirmed the purple-haired girl. “Originally, he and I were to be introduced together. I would handle long-ranged attacks, and he close-ranged combat. Together, we’d drive Korosensei into a corner. But… those orders were canceled for two reasons.”

“Uh? What were they?”

“One, his adjustment took longer than expected. And two…” Ritsu lowered her head a little. “I lack the capacity to provide him support. As an assassin, I am overwhelmingly inferior to him.”

A heavy silence fell on the whole classroom. Ame clenched her fists, tensed. She had barely listened to what Ritsu was saying, too focused on her instincts that screamed for her to run and don’t come back.

_He’s here. The assassin’s here._

“He’s dangerous,” she let out, her voice snapping most out of their daze. “Close-ranged combat? Adjustment? If Ritsu, of all people, can’t provide him with support… then it is most likely they experimented on him. Turned that guy into a human weapon.”

“Then… what do we do?” gulped Sugino.

Before anyone could linger on it any longer, though, the door of the classroom slide open. Everyone instantly snapped their eyes to the newcomer. It was actually a man in white garb, and even his face was hidden from view.

_That’s not him. The assassin’s just outside. Why is he outside?_

The guy slowly extended his hand, making everyone tense even more. Then, his fingers spread, and a bird suddenly appeared in his hand.

“… what the fuck?” mumbled the girl.

“Ah ah! Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” laughed the newcomer, easing the pressure that had taken over the classroom. “I’m not the new kid—I’m his guardian. You can call me… Shiro.”

_That’s not his real name, then—_

Ame’s train of thoughts was cut off as her eyes landed on Korosensei. Spooked, he had used his liquefied form and was now holding for dear life to the ceiling.

“Korosensei, you scaredy cat!” accused Maehara.

“Well, Ritsu-san was telling all those scary stories, and then Naoki-san made this scary theory! A- anyway, nice to meet you, Shiro-san.” Korosensei quickly returned to his normal form to face the man. “And where is our new student?”

“Nice to meet you too, Korosensei,” greeted Shiro. “As for him… He’s a rather unique child, in personality and otherwise. I’ll introduce him myself.”

He slowly went to stand at the front. Ame frowned, shooting wary glances to the back of the room. She could feel the danger growing, and it almost made her sick—

_He’s looking at me._

Ame instantly reported her attention back to the front, completely ignoring the lingering stare of the man. She knew she had been caught, and it didn’t sit well with her.

“You’ve got good kids here,” then mused Shiro, finally looking away. He turned to the door. “I’m sure he’ll fit right in. Now, to introduce him: Itona! Come on in.”

_He’s directing everyone’s attention elsewhere. What, is the kid going to break through the damn wall or something?_

There was a moment of stillness. Then, something suddenly blasted a hole through the wall in the back of the classroom, startling everyone. Out of the rumbles came a young boy with white hair and wild eyes. He calmly went to take the seat just before him.

“I won,” he simply stated. “I proved that I’m stronger than this classroom wall.”

_This is crazy. How did he break through it, explosives? No, he did this himself. Does he have super-strength or something like that? He’s obviously not entirely human right now…_

_What the hell have they done to him?_

“That’s all that matters. That’s all.”

No one knew what to do or what to say. Even Korosensei was making a very, very weird face. Only Shiro seemed unperturbed.

“Horibe Itona. Please, call him Itona.”

_Is he even going to answer if we call him at all?_

Ame’s heart was beating too fast. She was scared of the boy, and she didn’t even know why. It’s as if all of her sense has gone haywire and told her to run away without ever looking back.

“Say, Itona-kun, something’s been bugging me…” then mused Karma, always the cool one. “You came in from outside, right? Empty-handed?” Ame stiffened when understanding what he was getting at. “It’s raining buckets out there, yet there’s not a drop of rain on you.”

_Super-speed too? No, with how much it’s raining outside, he’d still get wet._

Itona rose to his feet. Ame tensed when he approached Karma to face him. If he did anything to her friend—

“You might be the strongest one in this class,” remarked flatly the new boy. Then… he started patting Karma’s head. “But don’t worry. You’re weaker than me, so I won’t kill you.” He let the boy go, and started advancing towards Korosensei. “I only want to kill those who could be stronger than me. And in this classroom, Korosensei, that’s you.”

“Who’s strong and who’s weak?” mused the octopus. “That’s how you pick your fights, Itona-kun? If it’s a trial of strength, you and I aren’t even in the same dimension.”

“Sure we are,” replied the white-haired boy, undeterred. “After all, we’re brothers by blood.”

…

…

…

“EH!?”

Ame almost banged her head on her desk in frustration.

Almost.

_This is getting ridiculous…_

“The loser dies, big brother. Siblings have no need for cheap tricks.” On that note, Itona started heading for the door, by which Shiro was already waiting for him. “I will kill you and prove my strength. We face off after school—here, in this classroom.”

The door slid shut behind him. The class stayed quiet for a few more seconds before utter chaos took over as everyone fired their questions at Korosensei, who unfortunately had no answer to give.

_But I need answers. I guess there’s only one way to get them, though._

* * *

.

.

“Sorry to startle you, Karasuma-san. That boy is a top government secret. It wasn’t unreasonable for you to be in the dark here,” explained Shiro, who was now waiting in the teacher’s lounge. “But I assure you: he is _indeed_ Korosensei’s brother. And, after school, that will become extremely evident…”

Shiro trailed off, his head tilting upwards. Karasuma and Irina blinked a few times, at first confused, before understanding dawned on them and they instantly snapped their eyes to the ceiling.

Ame waved. “Err, yo?”

“Naoki!” barked Karasuma. “We told you to stop eavesdropping!”

“Geez, not my fault if you guys are so unsubtle,” grunted the teen, jumping on the floor. “Did you really expect me _not_ to eavesdrop after they dropped such a bomb in the class? Give me some more credit, seriously.”

“You seem to possess great skills,” mused Shiro, earning her attention. “Naoki-san, was it? I only noticed you because of the reflection on the computer. Quite the talent you have there, really. Might you be another assassin sent undercover?”

“Ah! No, I was a student here before Korosensei arrived,” answered Ame, shoving her hands in her pockets. “Anyway, I got the info I wanted, so I’ll leave you to pursue your top secret meeting now. Make sure to say everything while I’m gone~!”

She left the room. After a few seconds, Karasuma groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Irina snorted, a pretty unusual reaction for the woman.

“How much do you want to bet she hid cameras and mikes in here?” she remarked.

“No bet,” grunted the agent. “We both know you’d win.”

The two teachers then returned to their work, knowing they wouldn’t be able to get more out of Shiro. Said man simply stared at the door through which the teen had disappeared, and smirked a little, even though it was hidden by his mask.

_Good kids indeed._

* * *

_He’s saying he’s his brother, but Korosensei denies knowing about it. Korosensei was human before, but I doubt he’d be lying about that: he hates lying to us. Itona said it was by blood, though… So, either Korosensei wasn’t aware of it, either Itona is actually a clone, or either… either Itona is the same as Korosensei. I know for a fact they did weird experimentations on him back in the lab that exploded. It altered his genetics and basically everything that made him human, even his mind! They were probably working on creating a super-weapon of some sort. What if they managed to replicate what they did to Korosensei… but without the aftereffects such as his appearance? But what if Itona has tentacles too? That would explain why he’s wearing that weird furry scarf, how he broke through the wall and why he wasn’t wet when he first came in. That would also explain why he’s so confident he can stand up to Korosensei…_

Those were all theories, of course. Ame couldn’t be certain of anything until the day was over and the fight between the two started. However, she was fairly certain she had found out the actual secret behind Itona. Why he was so important to the government, why Shiro was so elusive about him, why he had a guardian in the first place… The more she thought about it, and the more sense it made.

_This… isn’t going to end well, is it?_

* * *

.

.

School was now over. All of the desks in the classroom had been pushed out of the way and the students were standing near the walls, leaving Korosensei and Itona to face in the middle of the room. Itona then tore off his uniform, revealing a sleeveless shirt.

_I can’t see any tentacles… Maybe I was wrong after all?_

“You must be sick of plain old assassinations, Korosensei,” remarked Shiro in a casual tone. “Shall we lay down a rule here? How about… stepping foot out of the ring means death on the spot. What do you think?”

 _He’s been planning this. He knows what he’s doing._ Ame gritted her teeth in frustration. _He’s got Korosensei just where he wants him._

“What the—like the loser’s gonna uphold that rule,” scoffed Sugino.

“No. Breaking a rule that we were all witness to would hurt our trust in him as a teacher,” retorted Karma. “That kind of restriction works especially well with him.”

“All right. I accept your rule,” agreed Korosensei, as expected. “However, Itona-kun, hurting the spectators is also a loss.”

“Then, start on my signal,” ordered Shiro. “Assassination… begin!”

Ame didn’t even have the time to blink. One of Korosensei’s main tentacles was sliced off in a heartbeat. However, all attention was fixated on Itona, who’s hair… had turned into tentacles.

“Ah! Called it!” exclaimed Ame, victorious.

A few of the students sweatdropped at that, and she offered a sheepish smile before backing away. Maybe now wasn’t the right time to brag about her awesome detective skills.

“Where…”

The orange-eyed teen stiffened. That killing intent was the same from that time Terasaka had sacrificed Nagisa for his stupid plan, and it was still as terrifying as the first time she felt it.

“Where did you get those tentacles!?”

He was entirely black, his eyes had turned red, and fumes were coming out of his mouth. Ame slapped a hand over her mouth, feeling sick.

_The pressure… It’s too much…_

“We’re not obligated to tell you that, Korosensei,” answered calmly Shiro. “But this ought to have convinced you: you have different parents, different upbringings, but still, you are brothers. My! What a scary face you’re making. Did you perhaps remember something unpleasant?”

“… It would appear… you and I will need to have a little talk,” stated dangerously Korosensei, his tentacle growing back.

“But we can’t. You’ll be dead.”

And then, a bright, purple light started emanating from inside the man’s sleeve. The octopus instantly tried to back away, obviously weakened by light, whatever it was.

“Exposure to this pressure ray at close range triggers dilatant behavior in your cells,” explained the white-clad man. “Your whole body stiffens instantly. We know it all—all of your weak points.”

Itona started attacking Korosensei relentlessly. The students could barely see them move, the tentacles were too fast and dust was rising, blocking their view. After a few seconds, though, all movements stopped. Ame’s breath caught in her throat when she realized Korosensei had shed his monthly skin.

_Not good. This isn’t good._

“You’ve shed your skin. That’s right—you had that trick up your sleeve,” mused Shiro. “But, Korosensei, we also know there’s a weak spot there, too. Molting expands more energy than it would seem.” Itona started attacking again. “Therefore, the speed you’re so proud of drops immediately afterward. And you’ve grown back the arm that Itona took in his first surprise attack. That uses up quite a bit of stamina as well.” Ame narrowed her eyes when realizing that their teacher really _was_ slower. ”By my calculations, you should be evenly matched physically about now. Your use of tentacles depends greatly on your mental state. Given the shock of being damaged by an unexpected tentacle, it’s plain to see who’s in the lead now. Furthermore, he has the support of his devoted guardian—“

Growing more and more agitated, Ame didn’t think things through and threw three of her knives at the guy. Two hit the mark, instantly breaking whatever device the man had been using to emanate the rays. There was a moment of utter silence as all eyes fell on Ame.

_Well, can’t back down anymore._

“Ya talk taa much, Shiro-san,” she stated blankly, another knife spinning between her fingers. “And ya seem ta forget one thing: Itona may have da support of his devoted guardian, but Korosensei has da support of a devoted _student_.”

“You are not allowed to interfere with the fight—“

“Oh, but _ya_ are?” she scoffed. “Plus, I ain’t interfering with da fight—“ She threw her knife, and it got stuck in the wall right next to the man’s head. “I’m startin’ ma own.”

“You seem to fail to understand the importance of what we are doing here today,” pointed out Shiro, colder now. “We are eliminating a monster and saving the Earth in the process—“

“Nan, you’re just trying ta erase a mistake ya made,” she retorted, more annoyed than scared by now. “You’re saying it’s for da good of da planet or whatever, but you’re really all just a bunch o’ hypocrites ‘cause _you’re_ da ones who created da problem in da first place!” She threw another knife, though this time it was a rubber one, and it bounced on the wall next to Shiro’s head. “And now it’s turned out like this and you’re all just runnin’ away from da damn issue instead of taking responsibility for it. So what, ya gonna kill him and make everyone forget ‘bout it? Keep on experimenting ‘til things go south again? What makes ya think Itona’s gonna work any better, uh?”

Shiro narrowed his eyes at her. “You do not know what you are talking about.”

“Don’t I?” She looked him up and down before a lazy smirk stretched her lips. “Then why are ya so tensed, Shiro-san? Did I struck a chord or somethin’?”

Silence ensued, Ame and Shiro simply staring at each other, neither of them backing down from the silent, ongoing fight.

“That will be enough, Naoki-san.”

She glanced at Korosensei. It was the first time she saw him _actually_ exhausted, and it irked her to no end.

“I have never been run so ragged before,” he remarked, rising back up. “At first, this seemed like a straightforward face-off, but it’s all been so carefully calculated. There’s a lot I want to ask you two, but if I don’t win this first, there’ll be no more talking for me.”

“You still think you can win?” taunted Shiro, carefully pulling out the two knives from the device hidden in his sleeve. “Ah, the howling of a losing dog—or octopus.”

“Says da coward who won’t even show his damn face,” grunted Ame.

Rio elbowed her roughly, signaling for her to shut up.

“Shiro-san, there’s one thing you forgot to take into account,” then informed calmly Korosensei.

“There is not. My methods are impeccable,” assured the guardian.

“Hence why he completely forgot ‘bout us being here,” huffed the black-haired teen.

“Ame, I love you, really, but _please_ shut up,” pleaded quietly Rio.

“Tche.”

“Kill him,” then ordered Shiro.

Itona darted forward. The usual ‘POP’ and the weird liquid that followed each time someone got a tentacle were almost immediate… but those weren’t Korosensei’s tentacles. Ame grinned a little.

_So he got it, then. Good._

She finally allowed herself to relax. Korosensei had understood her plan, and so he finally stood a chance in this damn fight. Then, without warning, his molted skin suddenly fell on Itona, completely trapping him.

“If our tentacles are the same, then these anti-me knives will work the same too,” claimed Korosensei, quickly tying up the shed skin to fully trap the boy. “And the loss of a tentacle unnerves us both. However, I’m a little craftier than you.”

And on that note, he literally threw the boy out of the window. Said window broke in pieces as the student harshly landed on the grass outside.

“You should be unarmed wrapped in my old skin like that,” pointed out the octopus, chuckling smugly. Green stripes spread on his face. “But your feet are outside the ring. I win. According to the rules, that means you die. You can’t kill me anymore.”

Ame flinched at the sudden increase of the boy’s killing intent. He obviously wasn’t happy that someone was stronger than him after all, and she had no doubt he wouldn’t listen to reason. In a mental state like his, there was no way he’d back down now.

“If you want to live, stay and learn with everyone in this class, something that can’t be that easily measured by crunching numbers,” proposed Korosensei. “That would be the experience gap. I’ve lived a little longer than you, and come to know a little more. I became a teacher because I wanted to pass that on to you all. If you don’t take my experience from me here in this classroom, you’ll never be able to beat me.”

The orange-eyed girl quickly backed the farther away from the window that she could manage. The boy’s eyes were now black, with dark red irises, and it obviously wasn’t a good sign. Then, black tentacles burst out to replace the ones he had lost and started wriggling around violently, too fast for anyone to clearly see them.

“Black tentacles?”

“Oh crap!”

“He’s gone off the deep end!”

Itona ran towards them. Ame pulled out rubber knives, ready to interfere, as the boy jumped and aimed for Korosensei. At the last moment, though, he got shot in the head and instantly collapsed on the floor.

_Did he just… kill him?_

“Apologies, Korosensei. It seems this boy wasn’t yet mentally prepared for school after all,” mused Shiro. In his other sleeve was hidden the barrel of a gun. “I know it’s his first day and all… but he’ll be taking a little break.”

Shiro picked up the unconscious (not dead!) boy and slung him over his shoulder, ready to depart.

“Wait!” protested the yellow creature. “I can’t just let that student go—I’m his teacher! I shall look after him until he graduates! And, Shiro-san, I have so very much to ask you.”

“Not now, unfortunately. We’re leaving.” He started heading for the door. “Or would you stop us by force?”

Annoyed, Korosensei tried to grab him by the shoulder… but his tentacle burst at the mere contact.

“Anti-sensei fibers. You literally can’t touch me,” taunted Shiro. “But don’t worry. He’ll be back before long, Korosensei. After all, March is just around the corner.”

_Not, it’s really not. Just get lost already._

“I’ll take on the task of tutoring him at home,” he concluded.

And they finally left. Once he exited the classroom, Ame let out a relieved breath and slumped on her chair.

“Thank God they’re gone…”

Rio instantly slapped her behind the head.

“Ouch! What the hell, Rio!?”

“I should be the one saying that!” retorted the blonde. “What the hell, Ame!?”

“I did nothin’ wrong!”

“You basically provoked the guy in charge! I’d say that’s pretty wrong! Hell, you threw knives at him!”

“One o’ them was made o’ rubber.”

“Not the point! What if the higher-ups decide to punish you or something? You disrupted an official assassination attempt!”

“So what, ya wanted me ta sit back and watch as our target was almost killed by a kid with anger issues and an asshole clad in white?” snapped back the black-haired teen. “No fucking way! Korosensei is _our_ target. _We_ are da ones who’re going ta kill him, got it? Ya can’t seriously tell me ya were okay with that kid doing da whole job, right? With them exposing his weaknesses so easily while we’ve been workin’ our butts off since da beginning of that damned year? Are ya seriously telling me ya were okay with that? All of ya!?”

A heavy silence fell on the classroom as the rest of the students lowered their heads, thoughtful. Because honestly? No, they weren’t okay with it. They all knew that killing Korosensei would save the planet but, now… now, it was _more_ than that. It was _their_ assassination, _their_ target. They couldn’t just let a perfect stranger steal that from them.

“You’re right.” Everyone snapped their eyes to Isogai, surprised. He rubbed the back of his head. “I wasn’t okay with it. Thanks for stepping up for us.”

“Well, guess it can’t be helped,” sighed Maehara, crossing his arms behind his head.

“It was pretty cool too,” pointed out Fuwa, grinning a little. “She was all ‘you’re the bad guys!’ and she burnt him so bad it was almost painful to watch.”

“Where’d you get that idea anyway?” wondered Sugino, confused. “You said a lot of stuff that I didn’t get because of the accent, but…”

 _Shoot, I forgot about that. I_ did _let my tongue run a little wild, uh?_

“Actually, that is something _we_ would like to know, too,” then announced Karasuma, deadly serious. Ame cringed a little at the tone. “All of you, go back home. The day is over. Naoki, you stay here.”

After a moment of hesitation, the students quickly gathered their things, before heading out. Most thanked Ame on the way out, grateful she had stuck out her neck for them, and Rio gave her a quick, tight hug, before leaving. Karma simply ruffled her hair, smirking, before leaving. Once everyone was gone and the door closed behind the last student, Ame let out a nervous laugh and slowly turned to face her three teachers.

“So… You wanted to talk?”

“Sit.”

She quickly did as told. Karasuma was obviously pissed off by her little stunt, and a pissed off Karasuma was not a fun one to deal with. So, she grabbed a chair and sat down, though it didn’t make her feel any better.

“We’ve let you off the hook with a great many things, Naoki,” pointed out the agent, crossing his arms over his chest. “But this… this is too big. The things you said… You have to explain yourself.”

“I did say a lot of things in my life—“

“Don’t play around,” he ordered, harsher now.

Irina and Korosensei were simply watching, quietly.

_Well, I guess I can offer some half-truths. There’s no other way out of it._

“It’s all pretty much guesswork,” she finally admitted. “When Korosensei first got here, he told us he had been born and raised on Earth. Now, I think we can all agree that… whatever he is, wasn’t born on this planet _per s_ e. So, I took for granted that he was human before and some experiment went wrong. That theory was confirmed when Itona came. He said he was Korosensei’s brother, but Korosensei denied it, and I knew he wouldn’t lie to us about stuff like this. So, I put two and two together and thought that _maybe_ he had gone through the same experiments Korosensei did, but his went better, in a way. He still had a human appearance, but now possessed the tentacles. At that point, it was kind of easy to guess that Shiro –it’s not his real name, by the way— was one of the people responsible for the situation. He knew too much about Korosensei for _not_ having worked on him in the past. So, I took a shot in the dark and said what I thought. And guess what? I do think I was right.” She let out a shaky breath, before grinning. “To be honest, though, I think the other students guessed that much too. Anyway, so thoughts? Wonders? Questions? Can I leave now?”

“Naoki-san…” She tilted her head to Korosensei, and she suddenly felt one of his tentacles patting her head. “Thank you, for helping me. It was a good plan.”

“Plan?” echoed Irina, frowning.

“I threw the knives to destroy the device, true, but I didn’t need to throw three of them. I knew sensei would pick up on that, it was a way to get his attention,” explained the teen. “I threw the fourth one to make sure he got it, and then I threw the rubber one. It fell in the ring, so it was easy for Korosensei to pick it up subtly while I distracted that Shiro guy. That’s… pretty much it.”

“A clever trick indeed,” chuckled the octopus. “Those rays were the only things that truly troubled this fight.”

“But Nakamura was right about one thing,” pointed out Irina. “Naoki disturbed an official assassination attempt, one organized by the government. It’s bound to have repercussions, right?”

Karasuma sighed heavily for only answer. After a few seconds, understanding dawned on Ame.

“Wait… That’s why you’re so angry,” she realized. “It’s not because of the info…?

“We’ve grown used to you knowing more than you should actually know,” he retorted, rubbing his temples. “But this… Frankly, I have no idea what to do. Shiro will give his report and your intervention will obviously figure in it. I cannot protect you from this.”

“… Then don’t.” The three adults blinked in surprise as she shrugged. “I don’t need protection. I can take care of myself. I mean, they can’t kick me out of the assassination, right? They need as many people as they can to work on this. So, what’s the worst they could do?”

…

…

…

“I just _totally_ jinxed it, haven’t I?”

* * *

.

.

Korosensei ended up taking her home at Mach 20 speed. Considering what had just happened, he’d rather know she was back home safe, without any risk of running into that mysterious Shiro. The three teachers seriously doubted any harm would befall her, even more so considering it was mere guesswork, but still, one could never be too sure. She thanked him for bringing her back despite the rain that had started again, and then quickly went inside. She kissed the kids and Obaa-san when passing by the kitchen, but she wasn’t hungry and went directly to her room. Once inside, she let herself fall on the bed.

_I really screwed up, didn’t I?_

As if on cue, her phone started ringing. She picked up, afraid of what would come next.

“Yo, Hana—“

**“Ame. Ya better tell me right now why you’re on da god damn Dark List.”**

…

…

…

“I’m _WHAT_!?”


	13. Thirteenth Period: Target Time

“… whoa. I don’t think I remember the last time I saw so many of us together.”

Kind of startled, Ame looked at everyone. Around the table were already seated Inu, Devit, Uma, Usagi, Isana, Buru, Sasori and Karasu. She went to take her seat next to Inu, who offered her a tentatively reassuring smile. Just as she got comfortable, the doors opened and in marched Hana and Dale.

Dale, aka Ryu, was the first official member of the Zodiac. In fact, he was the one who created it two decades ago or so. The black-haired man was a true tactician. He was usually the one handling the really big plans and their execution. He was also the one who trained most of the members, if not all of them. He taught everyone basic self-defense and knew so many fighting arts Ame never bothered to count them. He was the best of the best when it came to hand-to-hand combats.

He ruffled her hair as he passed behind her to go sit at the other side of the table, his green eyes soft. Hana passed too, though she simply whacked the teen behind the head before sitting next to her. Ame rolled her eyes a little but didn’t say anything as the doors opened yet again, letting enter Saru.

“Yo!” he greeted cheerfully.

Saru was their leader. He had been the fourth or fifth member to join, but he quickly rose to occupy the post of leader, which had been nonexistent until he arrived. He made important decisions and was the only one who could actually allow someone to join them. No one knew much about him, saved for the fact that he got the scar over his eye and cheek from a fight with an ex-member while protecting Dale, and that he was a master in weaponry. He could wield any weapon with ease and barely a day of practice. He had a real arsenal hidden somewhere in Headquarters, too.

He ran a hand through his brown hair as he went to sit at the very end of the table, presiding the little reunion.

“All right, let’s get straight to the point,” he announced, his grin never leaving his face. He was obviously more amused than annoyed by the situation. “Our oh-so-dear Ame somehow managed to end up on the Japanese’s government’s Dark List. Or, as most of you probably know, the non-official hit list of the government.”

…

…

…

“WHAT!?”

_Oh, so only Usagi, Hana, Dale, Karasu and Saru knew._

_Well fuck._

Isana pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Ame... What did you do?”

“I provoked the wrong guy…?”

“We’re gonna need a little more details, sweetheart,” drawled Uma, leaning on his hand.

Ame sighed, before giving in. “A guy showed up at school with the new transfer student. Turns out said student is another of their little experiments, though his went better than Korosensei’s. He had tentacles too.” She knew she had their full attention now. After all, the subject of the creature who destroyed the moon and somehow ended up being her teacher was still kind of vague. “He was trying to kill Korosensei, obviously, but it pissed me off because that other guy in white kept on interfering and weakening him and so—“

“And so you told him off. Please, tell me you told him off,” practically begged Saru, his grin only widening.

“Even better.” Her own lips stretched into a smirk. “I threw some knives at him, completely destroyed whatever device he was using _and_ gave Korosensei the opportunity to get out of that sticky situation. Well, that and I may or may not have insinuated that I knew more than I should about his… situation.”

“Nice!”

Saru extended his hand for a high-five, and Ame instantly did so. However, they were instantly separated by Hana.

“ _Not_ nice!” she retorted, angry. “Saru, she’s on the Dark List! That means pro assassins will come after her!”

“Oh, right…”

Sheepish, he sat back down. For all his cleverness and talent, he could be quite the child when he wanted to. Shaking her head, Ame leaned back in her seat.

“This is crazy. They’re not even sure I _actually_ know something and they put me on their hit list? I’m fifteen, for God’s sake! These guys are either crazy or complete bastards!”

“Or both,” mused Karasu.

“Or both!” agreed the teen.

“Usagi, can’t you pirate their system and take her name off?” then inquired Dale, frowning a little.

“I already tried,” replied the man, running a hand through his hair. “No can do. And Ritsu can’t bypass their firewalls either. Each time we manage to make a dent, even more protections rise up. There’s no way we can do this without being discovered.”

“Then what do we do?” asked Inu.

“It’s going to take a while before assassins take notice of the bounty,” then pointed out Karasu, as calm as ever. “She’s not that high up on the list, and there isn’t a lot of money either. I’d say we’ve got _at_ _least_ a month before someone tries something.”

“Let’s not forget there already are assassins in the vicinity, though,” remarked Ratto. “Because of Korosensei’s bounty, there is already a lot of them gathered around. It cuts that time in half, at least.”

“She needs constant protection until we find a way to get her name off that list,” suggested Buru

“What? No way!” protested the teen, jumping to her feet. “I can take care of myself! Look, I seriously doubt an assassin will manage to have the jump on me while in school, Korosensei’s gonna sense them before they even get there. And I know how to disappear, remember? You’re the ones who taught me!”

“Your protection isn’t up for questions, Ame,” then warned Saru, still smiling. “Unless you want to be confined to Headquarters until we find a solution?”

“… you wouldn’t.”

But she knew he would. Hell, she knew they all would. So, giving up, she sat back down and crossed her arms over her chest.

“There’s no way you guys can keep watch on me while I’m at school without at least Korosensei finding out,” she scowled.

“Then we’re gonna tell him.”

“Wha—Are you crazy!?”

“It’s simple, really,” shrugged Saru. “We –or rather, Hana- will tell him about the situation. He’ll keep watch over you during class, and one of us will walk you to school and back home each morning and each evening.”

“He’s going to ask questions.”

“He already is. Hana’s kind of your official guardian here, hence why she’ll handle it. She’ll tell him the basics, and we’ll keep it at that. Frankly, I’d be surprised if he didn’t already have somewhat of an idea about us,” concluded their leader. “Usagi, you’ll keep on working on those firewalls with Ritsu. The rest of you will go back to your usual routine and missions, but you’ll also work out a schedule for the pick-ups. Any questions?”

“... Will my family be okay?” asked Ame in a more subdued tone.

At that, Saru smiled at her again, though it was warmer. “We’ve already set up cameras and protection. Nothing’s gonna happen to them.”

Ame exhaled in relief. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Now, let’s get to work! Oh, and Hana, you’ll go meet Korosensei in person with Ame tomorrow, once her classes are over,” he ordered. He then clasped his hands together. “That’s all for now, contact me if anything else comes up. Dismissed!”

Uma almost instantly leaped over the table and brought Ame into a suffocating hug.

“My poor, poor Ame-chan! Don’t worry, I’ll protect you—ow! Ka- Kara-chan, let go—“

Karasu pulled a little more on his ear. “Stop harassing the poor girl. She’s already got a lot on her plate to worry about.”

“But I wanna hug her!” whined the blond man.

“No.”

“But Kara-chan—“

“Stop calling me that!”

Ame sweatdropped as the two started bickering. Count on them to always be the same, no matter the situation. She then felt a hand on her head, and she tilted her eyes up to meet Inu’s, who smiled at her.

“Don’t worry, Ame. We’ll sort this out.”

At that, she returned his smile. “I know. Thank you, all of you. And I’m sorry for being such a bother too.”

“Well, things would be kind of boring without you always bringing trouble in,” snorted Usagi.

“I could have gone ma whole life without findin’ your name on that damn list,” grunted Hana. “I’ll see ya tomorrow.”

“Hana—“

The red-haired woman slammed the door behind her, making Ame cringe.

“Wow,” blinked Devit. “She’s pissed. You should probably go talk to her, kid.”

“I know, I know. Thanks again, guys! See you later!”

She then ran out as fast as she could. She needed to catch up with Hana.

* * *

“Hana?”

Ame sighed in relief when she found the woman just outside, taking a smoke and staring blankly at the sky. The teen leaned against the wall, unsure of what to say.

“Look… Hana… I’m—“

“I don’t get you.”

“Uh?”

“Don’t ya get it? People are going ta come and try ta kill ya.” She gritted her teeth and threw away her cigarette. “How can ya act so carefree when there’s basically a target painted on your back? You’ve always been in danger, what with being a part o’ da Zodiac, but this- this isn’t okay! Ya can’t act as if it was!”

“I know it’s not!” snapped the orange-eyed girl. Hana startled a little, finally looking at her… and stiffened at the sight of the girl’s teary eyes. “Fuck! I know it ain’t okay! Ya think I’m feeling like da king o’ da world, knowing pro assassins will come after ma head? I’m terrified, Hana! I’ve been taught ta run when facing a hopeless fight, but how can I run away without risking runnin’ into ma very enemy, uh? There’s no place ta hide anymore! And yeah, I tried ta play it brave back in there, ‘cause I know for a fact that even if I’m scared shitless, ya guys have ma back and ya have no idea how grateful I am right now. But this… Fuck, I know I messed up, okay? I know.”

“Oh, Ame…”

Hana brought her into a tight hug. Ame instantly wrapped her arms around her waist, hiding her face in her chest. The woman started stroking her hair.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I know you’re da most worried out of all of us, and ya have every right ta be,” apologized the redhead.

“I’m da one who’s sorry. If I simply kept ma damn mouth shut…”

“Then ya wouldn’t be da Ame I know. You’re one o’ us, remember?” Hana smiled a little at that. “That means ya don’t have ta pay attention ta da rules. We either make ‘em or break ‘em, got it?”

“… yeah. Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Hana.”

“Sure thing. Love ya, Ame.”

“Love ya too.”

Reassured, the teen however lingered in the woman’s warm embrace a little longer. Right now, she didn’t feel like being alone.

* * *

.

.

Hana drove her to school the following morning. Ame quickly joined the class, on alert. As she reached the E-Class campus, she started wondering if maybe one of the teachers had heard about the incident. When she arrived, though, it was only to find almost all of her classmates already present and going through a series of exercises set up by Karasuma.

“Oh, Ame-chan!” exclaimed Kayano, the first to see her. “Good morning!”

“Hey. What are you guys doing?”

“Oh, that? It’s extra training!” chirped Kurahashi, joining them. “Karasuma-san agreed to help us!”

“What for?” wondered the girl, now confused.

“Well, it’s because of what happened yesterday,” admitted Yada, approaching with the other girls behind her.

“You’re the only one who stood up for us,” explained Fuwa. “And you said what we were all afraid to admit to ourselves.”

“We want to be the ones who kill Korosensei,” then assured Rio, grinning at her and twirling a rubber knife in her hand. “We won’t let others take this away from us.”

“That’s… actually pretty great.” Ame found herself relaxing. “I’m glad you guys feel the same. Why did none of you call me, though? I could have joined you this morning, you know?”

“I called you like, five times,” retorted her blonde friend, rolling her eyes.

“Uh?” Ame quickly checked her phone. “Oh, so you did. My bad. I’ve got… some stuff, going on at work. Anyway! Do we have some time left?”

“I think so,” confirmed Okano, checking her watch. “Yup, twenty minutes.”

“Good enough. I’ll go get changed and get started—“

“Wait, Ame-chan!” The teen stopped in her tracks, turning to Hara. “I was wondering… if you could help me.”

“Help you?”

“Help _us_ , actually,” nodded Kataoka, smiling a little. “We’ve seen how you handle knives and hand-to-hand combat, and we’d really appreciate it if you could show us a few tricks.”

The rest of the girls nodded their heads in agreement. Ame stared at them for a few seconds, truly taken aback. Then, her lips stretched by themselves, and she found herself beaming at them.

“Sure! It’ll be fun!”

_And it’ll take my mind off of things for a while too…_

* * *

The morning extra training session was over, and everyone was now settling in class for the first period. As Korosensei came in, Ame instantly went up to him.

“Oh, good morning, Naoki-san!” he greeted.

“’Morning, Korosensei.” She stared at him for a second but found nothing that would betray whatever knowledge he might possess about her current situation. “Look, I’ll make things simple: one of my guardians will be coming at the end of the day to meet with you. We’ve got… a situation at hands, and we— _I_ , need your help.”

He fell serious at that. “Does this have something to do with yesterday’s incident?”

“Aa.”

He nodded at that. “Very well. After class, then.”

“Right.”

Glad it was over with, Ame quickly went back to her place. She kind of dreaded the meeting between Hana and Korosensei, and she simply hoped things wouldn’t get out of hands.

_Yeah._

_Let’s hope._

* * *

.

.

For once, the day was over much faster than Ame would’ve liked. Then again, she passed the whole time gazing warily outside every few minutes to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary, and thus barely paid attention to class. As everyone started gathering their things, a loud gasp echoed.

“Look at that!” practically squealed Okajima, glued to the window. “There’s a literal bomb coming over!”

“Uh?”

“Where!?”

Most of the students went to the windows to look, but Ame didn’t bother, already knowing who it was. They watched as a beautiful woman, with deep red hair and sharp green eyes, walked toward the building.

“Who’s that?”

“Wow, she could rival Bitch-sensei…”

“Is it another assassin?”

“No.” Ame finally got enough and cut short the chatter. “That’s Hana. I work with her.”

At that moment, the woman vanished from sight, stepping into the building.

Okajima was almost instantly in her face. “Please tell me where you work! Please, please, please!”

“Ew, no!” refused the teen, shaking her head. “Plus, she’s way out of your league.”

He slumped in defeat at that. “So mean…”

Rolling her eyes, the black-haired girl grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, before waving goodbye to her friends and heading. When she stepped into the hallway, she found the redhead _really_ close to Karasuma, who’s eye was twitching in annoyance.

She scrunched her nose. “Hana, please stop flirting with my teacher. _Please_.”

Hana rolled her eyes, but left the man alone and came up to her. “So, where’s Korosensei?”

“In there. Come on.”

They ignored Karasuma’s narrowed eyes and went into the teacher’s lounge, where Korosensei was already waiting for them. He was wearing his human disguise, making both girls snort in synch. His skin turned baby pink at the sight of the red-haired woman.

“No need for the getup, Korosensei,” mused Hana, going to sit before him. “I already know what you are.”

There was a moment of stillness. Then, Korosensei got rid of the nose and the wig, and his skin turned back to yellow, though his cheeks were still somewhat red.

“I see. May I ask how?”

“You may. I can’t promise an answer.”

That made the teacher chuckle a little. “Now I see from where Naoki-san takes her elusive nature…”

“I’ll cut straight to the chase, Korosensei,” declared the woman, crossing her arms over her chest. “Ame’s in danger. Because of what happened yesterday, she’s been put on the government’s Dark List.”

…

…

…

“B- beg your pardon!?” he gasped.

“Assassins are coming after me.” Ame offered a bitter smile to her sensei. “Guess we’re both targets now, uh?”

Korosensei took a few seconds to digest the information. Then, calmer than Ame expected him to be, he finally looked back to Hana.

“How exactly have you come across this information?”

“We’re an informant group,” more or less revealed Hana, unperturbed. “We gather information and we sell it.”

“I see. And has Naoki-san been a part of this group for long?”

“That’s not for me to answer and it’s not relevant to the situation. Ame has been put on that list and is now in danger,” repeated the poison mistress. “What we ask of you is to keep an eye on her while she’s at school. We will handle her movements in between school and home, but Kunugigaoka is your territory. You know it better than we do and we believe she’ll be safer having you around.”

“… I understand. I can promise you that no harm will come to her. She is my student, after all, and she did end up in this position because of me,” replied the creature with a resigned sigh. He then chuckled a little. “You can put your mind to rest!”

At that, Hana finally relaxed a little. “Thank you. We’re counting on you, then.”

On that note, she rose back to her feet, obviously done with the conversation. Ame was quick to follow her to the door, eager to leave.

“See ya tomorrow, Korosensei!”

And she bolted outside. Hana shook her head a little, exasperated. Before she could leave, though, the octopus held her back with one of his tentacles.

“Just a moment, Hana-san. If you’d please?”

She turned to him, her face blank. “What is it?”

“I know what info-brokers are. I know what they do. What _you_ do,” he stated bluntly. “Do you truly wish for this kind of future for Naoki-san?”

“I don’t,” admitted the woman. “But it’s her life, and she’s a big girl. Believe it or not, but she’s mature enough to make her own decisions. Whatever she chooses, we’ll support her.”

“Who are ‘we’, Hana-san?”

That earned him a small, mysterious smile. “Who knows?”

And then she was gone, the door silently sliding shut behind her. After a few seconds, Korosensei chuckled lightly.

_Yes, Naoki-san truly takes after her. Now, to set up some protections…_

* * *

.

.

Hana drove Ame to school again the next morning. The orange-eyed teen had refrained a sigh when finding the woman already waiting for her in the street. While not having to walk all the way was cool and all, she could tell it would grow really old, really fast. After all, she was used to doing things at her own pace. But now? Now, she couldn’t even be late to school if she tried.

When they arrived at school, it was only to find Irina waiting for her at the fence leading the way to the mountain. The girl waved her mother-like figure goodbye before quickly joining her teacher.

“’Morning.”

“Good morning,” greeted the blonde. They started walking, and Irina sighed. “You know, I should have expected something of the sort would happen.”

“Oh, so Korosensei filled you in?”

An uncharacteristic snort escaped the pro assassin. “He didn’t really have a choice. Karasuma found him buying all the cameras in a store near school, so that octopus had to spill the beans.”

“Go figures. Are you going to help?”

“Well, I _am_ here this morning. Though, it _is_ unusual for an assassin to protect instead of… well, assassinate,” mused Irina.

Much to the woman’s surprise, the teen chuckled at that.

“In a way, I’m glad. We might not always see eye to eye, but I know of your skills well enough. And, I might not really show it, but I _do_ respect you,” then explained the girl. “Knowing you’re watching my back is kind of reassuring, to be honest.”

Irina stopped dead in her tracks while Ame kept on walking. She didn’t know what to say or do. True, she found Ame infuriating more often than not, but hearing the girl speak so honestly actually struck a chord in her. Well, that and it was probably the first time someone told her they found her _reassuring_.

Her.

An _assassin_.

“Hey, why are you lagging behind, Bitch-sensei?” suddenly called Ame, way ahead of her. “Come on, get a move already! You sure you’re not getting rusty?”

Irina’s eye twitched. Nevermind the moment, that brat just had to go and ruin everything.

“Shut up! I would already be up there had I not had to wait for you, brat!”

“Excuses, excuses~!”

“Ugh!”

* * *

.

.

At the end of the day, she had to wait for the rest of her classmates to leave before heading out. She didn’t want to risk involving them in any way and, if an assassin _did_ show up at random and found her hanging out with her friends, well, it wouldn’t turn out well. As she stepped outside, though, she found none other than Karasuma waiting for her outside. She stopped next to him, unsure of what to say.

“… so, you’re my bodyguard?” Her lips twitched into a small smile. “That’s cool.”

“There’s nothing _cool_ to this situation, Naoki,” retorted her teacher, frowning. He gestured for her to get a move on, and they started walking. “As I feared, the government has acted rashly. Unfortunately, they have denied everything when I brought up the subject and I cannot insist without taking the risk of aggravating the situation. Of course, how that creature managed to get a hold of this information is already making things worst, but I guess it can’t be helped.”

_Korosensei told him he’s the one who found out? So he didn’t tell them about me being an info-broker… Well, thanks for that, I guess._

“I never said the _situation_ was cool,” she then remarked. “It’s the complete opposite. Having a target on your back is frankly terrifying, and I could have gone my whole life without it. However, I said having you watching my back is cool because I _know_ you’re strong and I can trust you with my life.”

“… I see.” He seemed to think something over for a moment, before looking back at her. “Which mornings are you free, Naoki?”

“What?”

“I can offer you extra training lessons. That way, were you to ever find yourself in a situation where no one is there to protect you, you could protect yourself better,” he explained.

“Ooh… Well, I’ve got morning lessons with the girls now, but I guess we can arrange something,” she mused, before grinning at him. “You actually like that teaching position, don’t you?”

“I never said such a thing,” he replied, coughing into his fist.

Ame smiled at that, but didn’t say anything more.

* * *

.

.

Two weeks passed since then. As agreed upon, Hana brought her to school each morning and brought her back home –or Headquarters, depending on the situation- each evening. She no longer got calls in the middle of the day for work, though, something she found quite annoying but knew she had no right to complain.

It was kind of her fault, after all.

“Okay girls, let’s wrap this up!”

Ame had taken the girls’ request very seriously. Three times a week now, all of the girls arrived at school an hour before class began so that they could train together. It had been a little hard at first, considering not all of them had the same kind of abilities to begin with, but Ame had managed things somehow.

“Now, listen closely: there are two rules for you to win a fight,” she stated clearly, the rest of the girls paying close attention. “One: play to your strengths. Ever heard the expression ‘jack of all trades, master of none’? Well, it’s probably the worst thing you can be when it comes to fighting one-on-one. You don’t have to master everything, but hone your strengths and then pick up a few more tricks. That way, you can be strong _and_ unpredictable.”

She pointed her knife to Okano. The brunette blinked in surprise, before stepping forward to face her.

“All right. Okano, I want you to surprise me.”

“W- what? Just like that?”

“Yep. I won’t fight back, merely evade. You’ve got to land at least one hit.”

“Okay?”

Unsure, she took her stance. Ame simply nodded reassuringly. Nodding back, the brunette then darted forward. Ame easily stepped out of the way.

_Surprise her…_

She needed a move Ame hadn’t taught her, then.

…

…

…

_I know!_

She moved fast, her knife aiming for the orange-eyed girl’s face. Ame stepped back, just enough to avoid it from hitting her face. However, it wasn’t far enough to avoid the sudden kick from her opponent. Okano executed a perfect cartwheel, hitting Ame right under the chin. It’s only once she fell back on her feet that she realized she had actually hit the teen.

“Ow…”

“A- Ame-san! Oh God, I am so sorry!” apologized frantically the smaller girl.

“No! No, don’t be,” retorted Ame, rubbing her sore chin. She then smiled at her. “It was a great shot. I was wondering when you would catch on.”

“Wait, you knew I would use my gymnastic moves?”

“Sure. I just wanted you to think a little.” Ame then shook her head and face the rest of the girls once again. “Anyway, as you’ve all seen, Okano played to her strength and took me by surprise. Gymnastics are surprisingly fitting for fighting, she could even develop her own style if she gives it time and efforts. Now, I know not everyone here has skills that are so… evident, more or less, to find. However, I also know that everyone here _does_ have at least one skill that could help them in a fight. By the next lesson, I want all of you to have found that skill of yours.” She clasped her hands together, grinning. “That’s all for today. Great work, girls!”

“W- wait!” protested Fuwa. “You didn’t tell us the other rule!”

“Ah, that’ll be for another lesson,” chuckled the black-haired girl. “Learning everything all at once won’t do anyone any good, you know? We’ve got to keep a stable pace.”

The rest of the girls nodded in agreement at that, before slowly heading back towards the building to quickly get changed.

“That was great, Ame,” remarked Rio, bumping Ame’s shoulder. “These training sessions are fun. You’re really good at this, you know?”

“I try. Frankly, I’m just telling you guys what my mentors told me,” shrugged her friend. “Plus, it’s easy to teach when it’s something you know a lot… about…”

Ame trailed off as she noticed Nagisa, Sugino, and Karma now heading their way. The three boys seemed to be talking about something important, if their faces were anything to go with.

_Why does it feel like things are going to grow interesting all of sudden?_

* * *

“A class versus class ball game tournament, is it? Cultivating healthy minds and bodies through sports—most excellent!” exclaimed Korosensei. He then showed everyone the bracket, nervous sweats rolling down his face. “However, why is the E-Class not in the tournament brackets?”

“The E-Class doesn’t get entered into the tournament,” answered Mimura with a resigned smile. “Due to the splendid reason that there’d be an odd number of teams. Instead, we have to play in the exhibition game at the end.”

“Exhibition game?” repeated the creature in confusion.

“Basically, it’s just a spectacle. As the entire school looks on, we get pit against the Baseball Club and the girls go against the Girls’ Basketball Club,” explained Kataoka.

“I see, so it’s the same old, same old,” understood Korosensei.

At that point, Terasaka, Muramatsu, and Yoshida got up and started heading for the door.

“We aren’t sitting around to be laughingstocks,” announced Terasaka, a scowl on his lips. “You guys handle it however you want. See ya.”

“Oi, wait—Terasaka!” protested Isogai.

But the three left the class without another look back.

“If it’s baseball, the go-to guy would be Sugino, right?” then pointed out Maehara. He turned to the mentioned boy. “So? Got any secrets we can use to win?”

“It’s impossible,” however replied Sugino, lowering his head. “Our Baseball Club is pretty strong. Especially Shindo, our current Club Captain. His powerful fastball has even gotten the attention of the prestigious high schools. A star pupil and a start athlete—it’s like, unfair.” He then clenched his eyes. “But you know… I want to win, Korosensei. Not just put up a good fight. _Win_.” He looked down at the ball he was holding. “I don’t want to lose at the baseball that I love. After getting kicked out of the Baseball Club and joining the E-Class, my feelings have actually only grown stronger. I want to team up with these guys and win—“

“Base~ball! Base~ball!”

Everyone sweatdropped as Korosensei started chanting, already all geared up and set to go.

“R-right. You want to play baseball, too,” realized Sugino. “I hear you loud and clear.”

“Niryufufufu! I’ve always wanted to be the fiery coach in a sports drama!” admitted their teacher. “I won’t smack you kids around or anything, so instead, I’ll flip dinner tables.”

“Please don’t,” winced Ame.

“Lately, you’ve grown more articulate about the direction you want to go in,” then remarked the octopus. “I want to kill. I want to win. Unwavering, no matter the adversity you face. To reward that spirit, Coach Koro will impart upon you the training and strategy that will allow you to win!”

“… and what about us?”

Startled, the students turned their heads to Ame. She was leaning on her hand, looking bored, but there was a glint in her eyes.

A competitive glint.

 _Ooh._ Korosensei’s grin widened. _I see._

“What do you mean, Ame-chan?” then wondered Kayano.

“Well, it’s cool and all that the guys are fired up, but what about us?” replied the black-haired girl. “We too have to play, right? Against the Girls’ Basketball Club… What’s our game plan?”

“Ame-san… I don’t mean to offend, but I seriously doubt we actually have a chance at winning this,” pointed out Kataoka. “Most of us don’t even know how to play.”

“And the girls in that club are scary!” added Kurahashi, sweating nervously. “They’re really tall and strong!”

“Let’s just count on the boys to win this round for us, all right?” proposed Hara.

Ame looked at each of the girls. All of them, even Rio, seemed pretty convinced they wouldn’t be able to win. She felt her guts churn, a weird taste invading her mouth.

It wasn’t exactly defeated. More like… disappointment.

“So what, you’re giving up without even trying?” She scoffed, leaning back in her seat. “That’s _pathetic_.”

At that, most girls lowered their heads. Maybe it was pathetic, but why fight a fight they were bound to lose? They didn’t see the point. So, no one bothered with an actual answer. After a few moments of silence, though, the boys started discussing and planning their strategy. They only had three days to get ready, so they had to be efficient about things.

 _Three days, uh?_ Ame looked at the bright sun outside. _Enough to get back into the game spirit… I’ll ask Kiba for some advice, he knows more than I do about the sport_. Her eyes hardened a little. _The girls won’t do anything, but I refuse to give up so easily. I won’t just lose because of ‘what ifs’._

_Hell, I’ll win by myself if I have to._

* * *

.

.

The three days were up. The walk to the gym where the basketball game was completely silent. The training session they had been supposed to have the day before had been canceled by Ame herself, but none of the girls dared to question her about it. It was obvious their attitudes pissed her off, and a pissed off Ame was actually rather scary.

When they arrived, the Basketball Club was already there, and the stands were started to fill.

“All right, here’s the plan.” The group startled as Ame suddenly turned to face them, her arms crossed over her chest. “Throw me the ball whenever you can. I’ll handle the rest.”

“… that’s it?” blinked Rio, confused. “Don’t you have an actual strategy, or—“

“A strategy that involves me doing this alone? Yes,” retorted bluntly the girl. “Pass me the ball and there shouldn’t be any trouble.”

On that note, she headed to the middle of the field so that they could start the game as fast as possible.

“… We really let her down, haven’t we?” then remarked Yada, lowering her eyes.

“I can’t really be helped, though,” pointed out Okano, rubbing the back of her head. “I mean, look at us! There’s no way we can win against _that_.”

They all looked back to the enemy team, which had now spread on the field. Ame was having a stare-down with the Club Captain, who was one good head taller than her, at least.

“Ugh, let’s just get this over with,” sighed Rio, heading on the field. “The faster the better.”

Wanting this to be over as soon as possible, the rest of the girls nodded in agreement before going to take their positions.

* * *

_This is an absolute nightmare._

Thanks to her… strategy, Ame had managed to score a few points. Unfortunately, it was far from a fool-proof plan and, alone against an entire team, she rarely was close enough to the goal to manage to reach it. The rest of her “team” did listen to her and threw her the ball whenever they could, but it didn’t do much considering Ame was more often than not cornered. The Basketball Club quickly caught on to what was going on, or at least part of it, and had started targeting her, making things even more difficult.

_If I had at least one other person…_

But she didn’t, and so she’d have to find a way to win on her own, and fast. Hara threw her the ball. She caught it and instantly made a dash for the goal. As she reached it, though, one of her opponents suddenly stood in her way. The girl gritted her teeth in annoyance but didn’t have the time to think things through, since another came up behind her and managed to steal the ball.

_Damn it!_

The opposing team quickly ran up to their own goal and scored, the E-Class students being no match and having a completely disorganized defense. At the sight of them being utterly destroyed, Ame slowly lowered her arms.

 _Oh, who am I kidding?_ It was the mid-time break. She instantly made her way to the bench to get some water. _There’s no way I can do this alone. I fooled myself into believing I could win, but against an almost pro team? I was doomed from the moment I thought I could do it._

“Hey, Ame?”

“What is it?” She gulped down some more water.

Rio bit her lower lip. “Are… are you okay?”

“Sure. I’m fine. Whatever.” The teen put down the bottle, before passing a hand over her face, suddenly tired. “Frankly, I don’t know why I even tried in the first place. I get what you were saying back in class, now. Winning… is simply impossible. I’m sorry for not seeing it sooner.”

The blonde stared at her friend for a moment, feeling a little sic: Ame _never_ backed down from a challenge. _Ever_. She always overcame every obstacle standing in her way, saved maybe for her studies, and most of all, she _never_ gave up. So, hearing her now, seeing her so defeated…

This wasn’t right. This wasn’t right at all.

“No.”

Both Rio and Ame jumped a little at the new voice, their eyes instantly falling on the girls now standing around them. It was Kataoka who had spoken up.

“No, Ame-san. You shouldn’t be the one apologizing,” she stated firmly. “We are.”

“You were right. Giving up so easily was truly pathetic of us,” added Fuwa.

“But seeing you still try and give your all, even when all the odds were against you, kind of fired us up,” admitted Yada, sheepish.

“It may be too late, but we’re ready, Ame-chan,” then assured Kayano, pumping her fist in the hair. “Let’s win this game!”

The rest of the team nodded in agreement, determination now shining in their eyes. Seeing this, Ame couldn’t stop the smile from stretching her lips.

“… All right. All right, let’s do this.”

“Then what’s our game plan, Ame?” then asked Rio. “We’re listening.”

“Okay. Remember our lesson, three days ago?” They all nodded again, making her smile turn into a small smirk. “Well, I sure hope you did your homework. What are your skills, girls?”

“W- wait!” protested Kurahashi. “Wasn’t that for fighting? I don’t understand how this is going to help…”

“But can’t you see? This _is_ a fight!” exclaimed Ame, jumping on her feet. “This is a fight, and we’re going to win. Those are our opponents, and this goal is our target. We have to play to our strengths, remember?”

Understanding started dawning on them. Seeing this, the orange-eyed teen grinned once again.

“Great. Then let’s hear it, and let’s do this fast.”

* * *

“Start!”

Kataoka managed to hit the ball, aiming for Yada, who easily caught it. As soon as one of their opponents approached, she slipped under the girl’s arms and threw Fuwa, who instantly made a run for the goal.

“Pass to Ame!” yelled Rio in English, farther behind.

Instantly, the other team surrounded the black-haired girl, who had been standing not far from the goal. At the last moment, though, Fuwa passed the ball to Kurahashi. Being as small as she was, running around and escaping the last few of their opponents was child’s play. She finally passed to Hayami who, without much difficulty, threw it in the goal and marked the point.

 _It’s like Ame-san said_ , she mused as her classmates cheered. _My hand is the gun, and the ball is the bullet._

The game started again. This time, they surprised the Club members with throwing the ball to Hara, who was much faster than she looked. She managed to get through their defenses and passed it to Kanzaki, who was just next to the goal. As soon as the girl caught it, though, she found two of their opponents blocking her way. She offered them a disarmingly innocent smile, and the two almost instantly relaxed their guard.

 _Now_!

She passed it to Ame, who had just run past the three of them, and the girl scored once again. As their team cheered and their opponents started growing worried about this sudden turn of situation, Ame wiped the sweat from her forehead, grinning. If they kept this up, maybe they could still make it.

 _No, not maybe_. She shook her head, going to take her position. _We can. We will._

* * *

Hara threw the ball on the floor, so hard it flew way too high for anyone to catch it. Okano, however, jumped, using her gymnastics, and managed to catch it before landing on her feet and passing it to Kataoka, who barreled through their enemies’ defenses and managed to score.

* * *

_“Aim for the goal! Pass to Kanzaki! Go back!”_

Rio’s English calls were confusing, and distracting. Sometimes the girls followed her instructions, other times they didn’t, and so their opponents no longer understood what their game plan was. To be frank, though, that was kind of the point. A confused or distracted opponent was one easily overcome, after all.

“Hazama!”

Hazama blinked in surprise when the ball suddenly landed in her hands. Half-a-second later, three of their enemies were before her, ready to take it away. A dark grin spread on her lips, and an even darker aura suddenly surrounded her.

“Feeling up to bring some darkness into your lives, girls? You can already taste your defeat, can’t you?” she taunted just as darkly.

Chills ran down the three girls’ spines, freezing them in place, and Hazama used the opportunity to score.

* * *

Ame knew instantly she couldn’t reach the goal. So, at the last moment, she threw it to Kayano. The green-haired girl gaped as their opponents, fired up, started running at her… their breasts bouncing way too much for her liking.

She saw red.

“DOWN GO BIG BOOBS!”

Her rage turning into strength, she threw the ball and scored.

* * *

“Okay, girls, this is our last chance,” warned Ame. “It’s a tie, so whoever marks wins.”

“What do we do?” asked Fuwa.

A grin stretched the teen’s lips. “We put to good use lesson number two.”

“What? Right now?” blinked Okano, surprised.

“What is it, Ame?” wondered Rio, grinning in anticipation.

“Easy. Lesson one is to play to your strengths. Lesson two… is to play _with_ their strengths. We can still surprise them, we can win this game… and Okuda is the key to it all.”

“M- m- me!?” squeaked the bespectacled girl.

“Yes. You guys just have to trust me, all right?”

Without hesitation, they all nodded firmly, saved for Okuda, who was now shaking in place. Her? The key? What was the girl thinking?

“Let’s do this!”

“Yes!”

* * *

The plan was simple, incredibly so. Though, to be honest, the girls were no longer that certain about their victory. However, Ame asked them to trust her, and so they would. She hadn’t let them down so far, after all.

The game started. Ame told them to simply play as they did before their change of heart, and their opponents instantly noticed it. They got a hold of the ball and started making their way for the goal. They almost instantly scored, none of the girls putting up a fight.

 _I sure hope that plan of yours will work, Ame,_ sighed internally Rio. _Now that they actually tried, loosing simply wasn’t an option. We’re counting on you!_

Thirty-three seconds were left. The game started once more, and their opponents started going up the field once again. However, at the last moment, Ame stood in their way and managed to get a hold of the ball.

“Back in the game!” she yelled.

That was the signal, and understanding dawned on the girls. The game would end in a few seconds, and their enemy had grown overconfident. Using this to their advantage, the E-Class instantly turned the situation around and started heading back for the opposite goal. They quickly passed the ball, from Ame to Kurahashi, and Kurahashi to Kataoka, and Kataoka to Rio, and then Rio passed it back to Ame who was now close enough to the goal… The whole opposing team suddenly stood between her and the goal. There was no way she was getting past that human wall, and all of her teammates were trapped on the same side of said human wall.

Well, all saved for one.

Without warning, she made the ball bounce between the legs of the girl before her, making it pass through. Confusion instantly took over the Girls Basketball Club. Why did she just throw the ball at random? But then, their confusion vanished as none other than Okuda caught it. Gritting her teeth, she hesitated one last time as the last seconds of the game ticked by.

_I can’t do this, there’s no way I can do this, I won’t manage—_

“GO, OKUDA!”

Having no more time to waste, she decided to drop her worries and simply threw. If she failed, then at least she would have tried. It was better than staying still and doing nothing, after all. The ball flew, hit the white panel… and fell in the goal just as the last second ticked. It hit the floor as the end of the game was loudly announced, though it was easily covered by the loud cheers of the E-Class team. Laughing, they all gathered together, lifting Okuda in triumph. After a moment, they put the overwhelmed girl down, and Rio slung an arm around Ame’s neck.

“Still, Ame… In the end, we didn’t win, right? It’s a tie,” she pointed out.

“I know,” shrugged the black-haired girl. “But in the time we had left, there was no way we could get the upper hand. They were as fired up as we were, after all. I simply figured a tie was better than a loss—“

“Hey, E-Class!”

The girls stiffened a little, before turning around to find the whole Club facing them. They all held blank expressions, the Captain of the team staring at them severely.

“That game was complete madness,” she stated bluntly. Then, her lips stretched into a small smile. “But it was fun, too. You’re cool opponents. Good game”

And she extended her hand to them. At first startled, the girls exchanged a glance. Then, rolling her eyes, Fuwa pushed Ame forward. Chuckling, the black-haired girl shook the Captain’s hand firmly.

“You were great, too. Thanks for the game. It was… very instructive, for all of us,” she finally replied.

“I could say the same. Girls!” she called to the rest of her team, who was smiling too by now. “I think we’re in need of some more practice! Let’s get started!”

“YES!”

The E-Class team sweatdropped a little as the Club instantly started practicing. The result of their match obviously fired them up even more.

 _Well, I guess that all’s well that ends well,_ mused Ame.

“Come on, girls!” she then called, gesturing for them to follow her. “Let’s go see how the boys’ game is going!”

* * *

The boys ended up winning their match, a few minutes after the girls arrived. As they stepped out of the field to join them, Korosensei arrived next to them in his human disguise.

“Well, girls! How was the game?”

“It was great!” exclaimed Kurahashi, beaming. “It ended in a tie!”

“And we had a lot of fun!” added Yada. “The girls from the Club were nice, too.”

“Ooh, so you decided to try after all?” mused their teacher, proud.

“It was all thanks to Ame, Korosensei,” assured Rio, elbowing her friend. “She’s the one who refused to give up.”

“And it was worth it,” replied the orange-eyed girl, grinning again. “We—“

Her phone started ringing. Startled, she then offered an apologetic smile to her friends and walked away before picking up.

“Hana, what—“

**“They’re closing in on the school, you need to get out of there now! They’ll be there in seven minutes, head for L13 right now. One of us will come and pick you up.”**

“Oh fuck.” She took three deep breaths. Now wasn’t the time to panic. “How many of them?”

**“Three cars, heading for the school. We don’t know their exact number yet.”**

“Understood. I’ll leave right away.”

**“Ame?”**

“Yeah?”

**“Be safe.”**

“I’ll try. See you later.”

**“Later.”**

The teen hung up, before exhaling deeply. She then checked the time. She had more or less six minutes left, now. She glanced back to her classmates, who were chatting happily farther away. Their spirits were high, and Ame realized she simply couldn’t bring herself to put them in the crossfire. If she stayed and asked Korosensei for help, then the rest of the class would get involved for sure.

“Hey, Ame! Was that your job?” called Rio.

“Yeah!” she replied, offering a sheepish smile. “Gotta go now. See you guys later!”

“W- wait! Naoki-san!” protested Korosensei. “You can’t—“

“We’re outside and I’m not on the E-Class campus anymore,” she pointed out. “So I win this round. Later guys!”

Without wasting another second, she ran to the fence and climbed over it, before landing on the sidewalk on the other side and almost instantly vanishing from their sight. The rest of the E-Class blinked in surprise. She had left so quickly! But they soon forgot about it, too used to it by now. As they kept on chatting, though, Karasuma and Irina went to Korosensei.

“Is it truly safe?” frowned the woman. “There is still the threat—“

“That is why she left, Irina-sensei,” stated the octopus, now serious. “I heard everything. Three cars are currently heading for the school.”

Karasuma narrowed his eyes. “Assassins?”

“I’m afraid so. She left to avoid getting the other students caught in the crossfire. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go to the aid of my precious student.”

Before any of the two could answer, he vanished.

* * *

Ame didn’t think she ever ran that fast before. All she could think of was getting as far away from the school as possible. Thankfully, the L13 (Location 13) was far enough, and it also was at the complete opposite of her home, so that was a plus.

_Well thought, Hana!_

She was keeping to the crowded areas. Unfortunately, she didn’t have her equipment on her, and so Usagi couldn’t provide any direct help. Just as she turned left, though, her phone started beeping. Turning it on, she found none other than Ritsu on her screen.

“Hello, Ame!”

“Ritsu, now’s really not the time—“

“Don’t worry, I’m here to provide support!” assured the purple-haired girl. “Usagi-san has sent me the coordinates of your pursuers. They are aware you have left the school and are now heading your way. From my calculations, I have drawn the conclusion that they are somehow following you.”

“Following me? How!?”

That was bad. She never thought they could actually follow her. She more than probably had a tracker somewhere on her person, but who could have placed it on her without her noticing? How long had it been there? Where or what was it?

_If they can follow me, then I can’t go to L13 or Headquarters. There’s no way I’m taking them right to the others!_

Without hesitation, she turned to the right, while she should have turned to the left.

“Wait!” exclaimed Ritsu, alarmed. “The location where you are supposed to meet with one of the members is the other way—“

“I know! But I can’t go if they have the means to track me!” retorted the teen, growing more and more agitated. “Damn it! Ritsu, where are they?”

“The three cars are all narrowing on your current position. Do you wish for me to contact someone?”

“Yes! Tell them I’m heading for the ex-L2,” she demanded. “Explain the situation, and they’ll understand.”

“Very well. Please, be careful.”

“Thanks, Ritsu.”

The purple-haired girl nodded, before disappearing. Knowing the artificial intelligence was handling everything, Ame simply focused on her main goal: reaching ex-L2 with at least two minutes of advance on her pursuers.

 _I can do this._ She gritted her teeth, accelerating the pace. _This isn’t anything new. I’ve been in loads of pursuits before, and I always got out of it._

_If they can’t catch me, they can’t kill me._

* * *

Ame reached ex-L2 with more than two minutes to spare. She had been careful to take routes that cars couldn’t use, forcing whoever was coming after her to continue on foot. The ancient Location 2 was in an old, abandoned temple in the middle of a small forest. The Zodiac had been forced to abandon the site when an enemy gang found it, and none of the members returned since then. However, it was smack in the middle of nowhere, which meant there wouldn’t be any innocent bystanders around.

Glad to have made it, Ame instantly got to work with whatever she could find. There was still some equipment hidden that the other gang never found and, while it was old, it would do the trick for now.

 _Come at me!_ She stared at her reflection in one of the knives she had gotten a hold of. _I’m ready._

* * *

Ame was hidden all the way up in one of the trees. Her breathing was silent, her heartbeat steady. It was starting to get dark, and she was well-hidden by the branches and the leaves. Right now, she was completely invisible. Exactly six minutes and two seconds after she got there, voices started echoing farther in the forest. She practically glued herself to the tree, as if becoming one with the bark, as men started appearing in her line of sight. From what she could see, they were surrounding the temple.

“She’s here,” assured one of them, a tracker in his hand. “Probably hiding in the temple.”

“Hey, just tell me something, Nighteye,” replied the one next to him. “Why are we going after a little girl again?”

The one with the tracker, Nighteye, sighed in annoyance. “I told you, James. With the price on that kid’s head, we’ll be able to stay a few more months here without worrying about the money, and _that_ means we’ll be able to afford more equipment to get rid of our real target—the monster.” He clicked his tongue. “Plus, it was a special request from Mister White.”

 _Mister White?_ Ame easily understood the nickname. _Shiro…_

“I guess… Okay, men! Surround everything, but I want a few groups to check the forest, just to be sure!” ordered the one called James.

_Two assassins and their henchmen, then. Probably not the first time they work together either. They’re far from subtle, so they’re either low-class assassins or simply underestimate me._

_Which… is kind of stupid, considering I am targeted by the Government itself._

She narrowed her eyes at the group. From what she could see, there were eighteen henchmen, plus two assassins. She obviously couldn’t take the whole group by herself. Those thugs back in Kyoto were nothing compared to fully trained men. If she wanted to survive to see the next day, then she’d have to be smart until reinforcements arrived.

_Let’s take out as many as I can manage without alerting the assassins immediately. I’ll activate the traps, it should occupy them for now and buy me some time._

She threw two of her knives. Both flew in opposite directions, cutting straight through two thin ropes. A moment later, two heavy rocks fell from the trees farther away. They loudly hit the metallic plates that had been placed under them.

The noises were enough to draw their attention. Using the sudden confusion, she jumped from her hiding place and landing on the tree next to her, before settling comfortably once again.

_Safe! And now…_

Many of the henchmen had reached the rocks and metal plates. One of them made a move to lift it. Considering this her cue, she activated the trap. Two loud explosions followed. Five of the henchmen were taken out when they were blasted away. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as many as she hoped she’d get.

_Next one, then._

She threw some rocks at the group below her. They lifted their heads, aiming their guns at random, and she used their inattention to throw another knife. As soon as the rope was cut, the metallic net hidden underneath the dead leaves rose, trapping three more of them fifteen meters above the ground. They started struggling, but she knew it’d be a while before any of them managed to get out. She moved right away, knowing their cries and curses would soon attract attention. She carefully returned to the ground, knowing she had to make her next move count. So, once certain the two assassins weren’t around, she waved to the group of seven standing farther away, trying to get their attention.

“I found her!” barked one of them.

“Get her!”

She instantly darted into the forest, the group hot on her heels. After a few seconds, she reached the location she had been aiming for, and instantly jumped on the nearest tree, careful not to touch the forest’s floor. She started jumping from tree to tree and, once she got past the trap, she let herself return on the ground.

“There—ARGH!”

The first man tripped on a hidden wire, which tied itself around his ankle and lifted him off the ground. The following three also fell for it. When the other three arrived, it was only to find their companions trapped and the girl long gone.

* * *

 _I took out twelve of them. But why were none of them shooting? They’re after my head, so aren’t they supposed to try and kill me?_ Hidden in a tree once again, Ame was watching the temple with wariness. She had completely lost track of the two assassins, which truly put her on edge. _What are they planning?_

Ame was growing agitated. Things were going well right now, but she had yet to hear about the rest of the Zodiac, or even Ritsu, and it worried her. Had they encountered trouble on the way? But it didn’t explain why the Artificial Intelligence didn’t warn her. The sun was now disappearing behind the mountains in the distance, and Ame knew she wouldn’t be able to stay hidden much longer. They’d end up finding her, and she needed to be at the top of her capacities if she wanted a chance of getting out of it.

A movement from farther away made her tense. She narrowed her eyes at the assassin that just came out of the temple, searching the forest. It was the one called James, if she recalled correctly—

_Wait. He’s looking at me!_

Her blood ran cold as his eyes met hers, and a grin slowly spread on his lips.

_It’s not random. He’s looking at me. How did he know I was here? What is he going to do?_

He waved cheerfully her way. Then, the branch cracked loudly and, the next thing she knew, she was falling. She barely managed to catch her fall, probably spraining a wrist while she was at it. As she tried to rise back to her feet, a harsh blow behind the head sent her to eat the dirt.

Everything was spinning, a few stars dancing before her eyes. Her sight was blurred, she could hear voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying. It took her a while to realize people were dragging her by the arms. The sudden pain reverberating in her skull was overwhelming, and she felt like throwing up. When she regained some lucidity, it was only to find herself kneeling in the dirt, facing the two assassins with her hands tied in her back, the rest of their henchmen aiming their guns at her head.

“So, back to your senses, kid?” mused Nighteye.

“Kinda,” she mumbled, trying to stop swaying in place. Why couldn’t the ground stop moving for a second? “Why- why haven’t ya killed me already?”

“Curiosity,” admitted James, sitting on the stairs behind his partner. “You’re what, fourteen? What have you done to end up on the Government’s shit list?”

“Provoked da wrong guy,” she replied, finally able to focus somewhat. “How’d ya find me? Where’s da damn tracker?”

“We don’t know where it is. Someone gave us the means to find you, so we did. Easy money, you know?” Nighteye shrugged. “Frankly, we knew where you were ever since we got here. We just wanted to see how you were going to act, judge your skills a little.”

_So they weren’t underestimating me. They played me without me even noticing._

“Also, don’t expect help or anything of the sort,” added James, running a hand through his hair. “They won’t find you anytime soon.”

“Ooh, wait, lemme guess: electromagnetic field or some shit like that,” finally understood the teen, feeling stupid for not seeing it earlier. That kind of magnetic waves stopped any signal from reaching her phone, hence why Ritsu didn’t provide support. “Wow, ya outsmarted a fifteen-years-old girl. Congratulations, _really_.”

“Don’t think we’re stupid, kid. You’re not just a regular girl, or a regular student, or anything of the sort, so don’t go and try to play innocent,” retorted Nighteye, suddenly pulling out a gun. “It’s nothing personal, though, really. It’s just business.”

Ame gritted her teeth. If she didn’t find a solution in the next few seconds, she was going to die. He pointed it at her forehead. Her guts churned painfully, ice had replaced her blood, but all she could think about was how she was going to die and _oh my God it’s over I’m gonna die he’s gonna shoot I’m dead dead dead dead—_

The gun suddenly flew out of his hand. He let out a startled cry, taking a step back. Ame’s eyes widened as, all around her, the henchmen were suddenly pulled into the forest, their cries echoing around. In the blink of an eye, only her and the two assassins were left.

“What the hell?” cursed James, jumping to his feet.

“Show yourself!” barked Nighteye, pulling out two more guns and aiming at random.

There was a moment of silence. Then, Ame forced herself to keep calm as she felt the ropes binding her wrists loosening, and a knife slipping in her hand.

It wasn’t a real one, though. It was a rubber knife.

_Wait, then that’s—_

“Niryufufufu! Did you truly think I would let one of my precious students get hurt, and even more so by such amateurs?” laughed

“Korosensei…” Ame wanted to cry in relief. She knew she was safe, now.

“Where the hell are you!?” exclaimed angrily Nighteye.

“Be-behind her!”

At James’ exclamation, Ame turned around to find none other than her teacher now standing behind her, his tentacles wriggling and holding all of the guns he had taken from the henchmen.

“What the hell…” Nighteye took another step back in horror. “Y- you’re that monster…”

“You were right on one point. Naoki-san is not a regular girl, and she’s not a regular student either,” mused the octopus, starting to advance towards them. “She is _my_ student. Do not think for an instant I will let this slide.” His eternal grin grew sinister. “It’s not business, though, really. It’s _all_ personal.”

The black-haired girl could only watch in awe as her teacher easily overpowered the two assassins. In barely three seconds, they were knocked out and tied to a tree.

_It’s over._

Ame felt her heart plummet as relief washed over her, completely overwhelming her.

_I’m still alive._

“Naoki-san?”

_Thank you…_

Her knees buckled under her weight, and she collapsed to the ground without a second thought.


	14. Fourteenth Period: Trusting Time

When Ame woke up, she was in her room. For a moment, she wondered if she had dreamt the whole situation, but a sharp pang in the back of her head told her otherwise. With a groan, she forced herself to get up and started getting ready for the day. As she grabbed her hairbrush, though, she found a note stuck to her mirror.

_ Good morning, Naoki-san! _

_ I have brought you home yesterday and told your grandmother you had collapsed from over-exhaustion on your way back. You are to take today to rest and get back some strength. The events of yesterday must have shaken you, so do not hesitate to call me if you need anything. _

_ See you tomorrow! _

_ -Korosensei _

And there was also the drawing of a grinning octopus.

At first surprised, she then sighed in relief and let herself fall back on her bed. To be frank, she didn’t feel like going to school. She had been stressing herself out with that freshly painted target on her back, and then the basketball game, so that _I-almost-got-killed_ moment from yesterday had been the one thing too much, for a lack of better terms.

_Almost game over, uh?_

Ame didn’t want to die. She really, _really_ didn’t want to. She knew her work with the Zodiac meant she was always somewhat in danger, that she always put her life on the line during missions, but she had grown used to that risk. She knew how to handle that kind of stress. However, having people trying to kill you because of circumstances and having people trying to kill you because you are an _actual target_ with an _actual bounty_ on your head are two _very_ different situations.

One was a choice, and the other was an imposition.

_Enough. I need to rest and clear my head._

Shaking her head, Ame pulled the blanket back over her body and closed her eyes. For now, she’d try and get some more sleep. She’d go talk to Obaa-san later.

* * *

Her grandmother thoroughly scolded her for being so reckless, before kissing her warmly and making her promise she wouldn’t work herself to the bone as much. True, they needed the money, but Ame’s health was important too! Anyhow, the rest of the day was very calm, and Ame slept through most of it.

The next day, the teen felt… refreshed, somehow. She had stared at Death in the eyes and lived to tell the tale. The thought was terrifying and galvanizing at the same time. She knew she owed it all to Korosensei, but she didn’t feel like letting the situation get the best of her. She had truly believed for a moment that she wouldn’t see the sun again, but she did.

It gave birth to a new feeling in her heart and soul. It left place… to _hope_.

So, it was with a cheerful bounce in her step that she started heading up to the E-Class campus after Hana dropped her off to school. She felt like she was seeing the whole place for the first time. Before, it was just a forest. But now? Now, it was a jungle of potential and possibilities.

 _This is the perfect training ground_ , she mused. _Maybe I should introduce parkour to the girls for one of our training sessions?_

She instantly started working over it. She didn’t feel like lazing around and wasting her time anymore.

* * *

.

.

It was gym class with Karasuma. They were practicing with their knives, each of the students having a chance at sparing with their teacher in the meantime. Most of the girls were putting to good use Ame’s teachings, managing to surprise him most of the time. Of course, it made him warier and as time passed, it grew more and more difficult to land a hit on him. Though, in the end, it was the experience that counted, so no one really made a fuss about it.

Ame was exchanging blows with Rio when her eyes caught a movement to the right. She gestured for her friend to stop. The blonde did as told, confused, but the teen ignored her as she focused on Nagisa. He was approaching their teacher from behind, and Karasuma… Karasuma hadn’t even noticed him.

_No way. That’s—_

Their teacher suddenly spun around and grabbed the boy’s arm before throwing him over his shoulder and making him hit the ground. There was a moment of utter silence as Nagisa straightened up, groaning in pain, and then the silence was broken by Ame, who whistled lowly.

“ _Damn_ , Karasuma-san. Don’t you think you went a _little_ overboard?” she remarked, lifting an eyebrow.

That seemed to snap the man out of his daze, and he quickly shook his head, before going to help the boy back to his feet.

“Sorry! Put a little too much strength in the block here,” he apologized.

“I- I’m fine,” assured the blue-haired teen, offering a sheepish smile.

“Dummy!” laughed Sugino. “You gotta keep an eye on him!”

The rest of the students laughed at that while Nagisa chuckled, feeling a little bad at being caught so easily. However, Ame wasn’t laughing.

It wasn’t Nagisa that had been caught.

It was their _teacher_.

_Somehow, Nagisa learned how to walk silently. Could it be that he picked it up after watching me do it for so long? I know for a fact he couldn’t do that when the year began, I remember his clumsy and loud entrances well enough._

_That… That is the potential of a_ true _assassin._

She glanced to Karasuma. From the look in his eyes, she could tell he was thinking along the same lines too, or that he was at least having some doubts. In the entire class, those who mostly stood out when it came to the assassination were Karma and her. You could add Okano, Kataoka, Maehara, and Isogai when you included physical abilities in fights. Everyone was strong in their own way, of course, but, frankly, it was Nagisa who seemed to hold the greatest potential when it came to be an _actual_ assassin.

Honestly, Ame didn’t know what to think of this new development.

* * *

“Ugh, there’s no way to beat him.”

“There aren’t any chinks in his armor!”

The bell rang, signaling the end of P.E. Karasuma instantly started heading back for the building, leaving his students defeated and sore. He had taken their need for extra-training very seriously, after all.

“Sir!” exclaimed Kurahashi, catching up to him. “Come out for snacks with us after class!”

“I appreciate the invite, but I still have work to do,” refused the agent.

The students simply watched him go, and Mimura crossed his arms over his chest.

“No chinks in his private life either, uh?” he mused.

“It’s more like there’s a wall between him and us, like he’s keeping his distances,” pointed out Okano.

“He takes good care of us and all, but is that only because he has to?” wondered Kurahashi, saddened.

Ame sighed, shaking her head. She went to place a comforting hand on the orange-haired girl’s shoulder.

“He’s a distant man, but he takes us seriously,” she assured. “He’s here because he has to be, make no mistake on that. However, if he didn’t care at least a little about us, he wouldn’t bother with helping us as much as he is.”

_If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t have tried to help me with this whole target-on-my-back situation. His own government put a bounty on my head, but he’s trying to help me, in his own way._

“Eh, who’s that?”

At Maehara’s question, everyone’s attention was brought to the newcomer, who was being greeted by their teacher. Ame instantly narrowed her eyes at the man, who was carrying numerous bags and whatnots. She didn’t think he was an assassin sent after her, since Karasuma seemed to know him, but his smile sent chills down her spine.

“Yo!” he exclaimed, going to stand to the top of the stairs to face them all. “I’m Takaoka Akira, and I’ll be assisting Karasuma as of today! Nice to meet you, E-Class!”

_A new teacher, then. But why now? And what does he mean, assisting Karasuma?_

Ame didn’t like where this was going. She really, truly didn’t.

* * *

“What- what’s all this!?”

“Cake!”

“And éclairs from _Le Hermès_!”

All of the students were now gathered around Takaoka. The man, never dropping his smile, had placed many different sweets and pastries on a blanket. They looked extremely pricey, and Ame couldn’t tell if it was an innocent way to break the ice with his new students or a more devious ploy to gain their trust. Despite all, though… Ame was already salivating at the sight. When was the last time she enjoyed an actual cake all to herself?

“They look so pricey…” paled Isogai.

“My pockets feel empty just looking at those,” agreed Ame, averting her gaze.

“Ah ah, go on! Eat up!” pushed Takaoka. “I emptied out my wallet for this, so don’t hold back!”

 _That doesn’t make me feel any better about it,_ sweatdropped internally the teen.

She glanced at the cheerful man once more. He seemed… nice. His smile that had scared her at first now seemed genuine, and she couldn’t help but feel like paranoia was getting the best of her. Not _everyone_ was after her head either! She couldn’t go on with her life believing all the people she’d meet would try to kill her. She couldn’t trust blindly, true, but she couldn’t _not_ trust either, right?

_I’ll keep an eye open, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying little things while they last, right?_

“You sure know your brand-name sweets,” mused Fuwa.

“Honestly, when it comes to me and sugar… It’s love!”

_He’s acting awfully cute for such a big guy._

But she couldn’t resist the call of the sweets any longer and, following everyone’s example, she grabbed the nearest one she could get. Her mouth watered as the smell of chocolate and strawberries reached her nose, and she didn’t hesitate in taking the first bite. She savored it for a moment, before turning to Isogai, who had yet to make a move on the cakes before him.

“You don’t want to try some?” she wondered, surprised.

“Well, it’s just that I’ll feel kind of bad for eating those,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “They cost a lot…”

“For that guy, maybe,” nodded Ame. “But for us? It’s _free_.”

That was the magic word, and she knew it. The boy’s last defenses crumbled under the blow and, unable to stop himself any longer, he took a hold of an éclair.

“Interesting choice,” chuckled the girl. “I was convinced you’d go for the cheesecake.”

“I would have, but… well, I often serve éclairs to people, but I never got the chance to try one,” he admitted with a small shrug.

“I understand,” she assured.

He offered her a smile at that, which she easily returned. She could understand his plight with money—she had the same. While her work with the Zodiac could be extremely profitable, it wasn’t an exactly stable job. It could be weeks or even _months_ before she received an actual contract to fulfill, after all. When she didn’t, she could do smaller tasks to get some more money, of course, but it was the same amount she’d get at a mediocre job in a restaurant or something of the sort. Keeping the secret of their very existence did take a lot of money, after all. And also the equipment. And the training. And the weapons. And pretty much everything else.

Ame quickly finished her cake after that. It was good, but she kind of felt bad now, considering she ate it just after training. She probably gained more calories than she had lost in a matter of minutes.

_Meh, no matter. It’s not like I slack off in training anyway._

“So will you be taking over P.E. tomorrow?” then inquired Nagisa, the question drawing the girl’s attention.

“Yep! Orders from headquarters,” confirmed Takaoka. “Gotta lessen Karasuma’s workload, you know, so—“

He stopped as his eyes landed on none other than Korosensei, who had suddenly appeared next to Rio and was eyeing her treat with envy, his skin turning pink and sticky saliva drooling out of his mouth.

“Cake…”

“Ooh! You must be Korosensei!” beamed their new teacher. “Eat, eat!” He then winked. “We’ll still end up killing you!”

He started laughing again.

“For colleagues, you and Karasuma-san are like night and day,” remarked Kimura in wonder.

“You’re like a neighborhood dad!” pointed out Hara, chuckling.

Takaoka laughed again. “Dad? I like that! We’re in the same classroom, so that makes us family, right?”

And once more, he started laughing.

_Great. Now his weirdness is showing._

But frankly, Ame was starting to believe that weirdness was simply mandatory for the teachers of the E-Class.

* * *

.

.

At the end of the day, Ame finally managed to find Karasuma. He had been avoiding the students ever since Takaoka arrived, and she didn’t know how to feel about that.

“Ne, Karasuma-san?” She peered through the half-opened door.

“What is is, Naoki?” he replied, without even glancing away from his computer.

“Is Takaoka-sensei aware of my situation?”

That made him look up. He frowned at her. “I do not know. I have not been informed. My guess would be that he isn’t, considering it is a rather… precarious, situation.”

“I see. Anyway, see you tomorrow, Karasuma-san.”

“Aa.”

Ame closed the door behind her. As she left the building though, she almost ran into none other than Takaoka.

“Ah! Naoki-chan, right?” he exclaimed, beaming at her. “I heard a lot about you from your classmates, you know. The girls told me you were giving them extra lessons with handling knives?”

“Err, yeah. They asked for some tips, so I accepted,” shrugged the teen, growing a little uncomfortable, for some reason.

“That’s nice, that’s nice,” he chuckled. His smile then widened. “But I’ll need you to put a stop to it.”

There was a moment of silence as the teen gauged the man before her. Why would he want her to stop the extra lessons? They were all aiming for the same goal: killing Korosensei. So, why hinder their chances of the sort?

“Actually, it’s not on the curriculum of the school or anything,” she then retorted, keeping her cool. “Just some training we do between us. Teachers and the school have nothing to do with this.” _You have no power over this_ went unsaid, but not unheard.

But his smile only widened again, his eyes closing, and Ame felt her breath get caught in her throat as she suddenly realized that despite appearances, Takaoka Akira was probably as strong as Karasuma, and that he was very much a threat.

_This is getting out of hands. I need to leave now!_

“Then I’ll say this not as your teacher, but as your… dad,” he replied, stepping closer to her. “Stop those extra lessons. I’ll take care of teaching the E-Class everything you need to know, and there’s no need for you to get in the way of that. Children have to listen to their parents, right?”

Ame gritted her teeth at that. _He’s completely nuts!_

“I wouldn’t know. I never actually knew my parents, so I never really bothered listening to anyone,” she drawled, her fists clenched. “See you tomorrow, Takaoka-sensei.”

Before he could reply, she took off. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared in the trees. As she ran down the mountain, her heart beating too fast, she internally thanked Korosensei for finishing setting up whatever protections he had in mind around the E-Class campus. Thanks to that, she could leave without needing an escort, which meant she could now escape from Takaoka without worrying about the rest.

_Something tells me things will get out of hands way too fast starting tomorrow._

* * *

When she got home, she quickly texted all of the girls to warn them that the training session that was to be held the next morning was canceled. She didn’t know what Takaoka could do, so she’d rather not provoke him directly. She couldn’t care less if he took it out on her, but she didn’t want to drag her classmates into her mess.

For now, for _them_ , she’d play it safe.

* * *

.

.

The next morning, Ame took a moment to gather all of the weapons she had hidden/lost over the years in her room. Most of them were knives, obviously, and she was kind of startled to see them piling up on her bed. Then again, it was easy to lose them in the mess that was her room, but she didn’t know she had _that_ many. However, it was when she pulled an actual katana (where the hell did she even get her hands on that thing in the first place!?) from behind her mirror that she promised to herself she’d thoroughly clean her room in the near future. 

She put on her uniform, as per usual. However, around her forearms and hidden by her sleeves were attached two holsters, both of which were holding two knives. They were well concealed, no one would notice anything. However, she had four more knives in her boots, plus two smaller blades in her heels. She also decided to make a bun with her hair and tied it with a sharp wire. For good measure, she also slipped two very sharp needles into the bun. For anyone, they’d look like innocent hair decorations, but Ame could turn them in dangerous and deadly weapons if needed.

She hid the katana behind her mirror again. She wasn’t _that_ desperate, and she really had no idea of how she’d bring that to school without being noticed. She also shoved a few explosives and smoke bombs in her bag, she put a handful of makinichis in the side pocket, and she hid a few throwing stars in between the pages of her school books.

_I guess that’ll be enough. Or at least, I hope so._

Ame didn’t know what to expect of the day, so she was preparing for war. She knew she wouldn’t use most of her weapons, if any of them, really, but having them around reassured her. Takaoka would show his true face today, that much she was certain of, and so she needed to be ready for _anything_. Much more confident than she was yesterday, Ame finally headed out. She kissed her grandmother goodbye, the old woman never noticing the holsters and simply complimenting her on the new hairstyle. She ruffled the kids’ hair, Kiba wondering why her bag seemed more heavy than usual, before leaving.

_The game is on, Takaoka-sensei. Let’s see who’ll break first._

* * *

.

.

“Ne, Ame-chan? Why was training canceled this morning?” Kayano asked as they headed outside for P.E. class. “Were you sick or something?”

“Uh? No, it was Takaoka-sensei. He told me we were to stop our extra-lessons,” answered the teen without an ounce of regret. If the man was trying to gain everyone’s trust, it’d be her _pleasure_ to stop that from happening. “Be wary. Something’s wrong with him.”

The green-haired girl frowned. “Are you sure, Ame-chan? Maybe you understood him wrong…”

Ame didn’t have the time to answer. Kurahashi sauntered over to them as they reached the field, where most of the students were gathered by now.

“Oh! Are you talking about Takaoka-sensei?” beamed the orange-haired girl.

“I can’t wait to see how his class will be!” exclaimed Okajima.

“He’s a colleague of Karasuma-san, right?” recalled Mimura. “So their abilities should be more or less the same…”

“I bet he’ll treat us to some more sweets after training!” grinned Maehara.

“Oh, maybe he’ll come with us after school for some snacks? We should ask him,” proposed Yada.

“He’s more open than Karasuma-san, that’s for sure,” snorted Sugaya.

“He’s not,” snapped Ame, her sharp tone shutting everyone up. “He’s a liar. That man is _dangerous_.”

“Ame, have you even seen how cute he was yesterday?” Fuwa remarked, shaking her head. “I doubt he could hurt a fly even if he wanted to.”

“Appearances are deceiving. Don’t go trusting people so easily like blind idiots,” retorted snappily the orange-eyed girl.

“Woah, Ame, _chill_ ,” Rio chuckled nervously. “Don’t be so harsh. Don’t you think you’re losing it a little? Takaoka-sensei’s nice. He’s our teacher, not the enemy—“

“And how would _you_ know, uh?” Ame was growing more and more annoyed. How could they be so carefree? How could they not see something was _wrong_? “Takaoka is manipulating all of you, and you’re all falling for it like utter imbeciles! Open your eyes, damn it!”

“Ame, that’s enough!” protested the blonde, not laughing anymore. “Why are you acting like this all of sudden?”

Ame was angry. So, so angry. How could they be so fucking blind!? “Stop acting like God damn morons! Why can’t you just _trust_ me on this!?”

“Oh, like _you_ trust _us_?”

At that, the teen’s anger deflated somewhat. Her eyes met Terasaka, who was glaring at her with barely restrained annoyance.

“Look, I don’t really get what’s gotten into you, but I’m done having you look down on us,” he pursued, arms crossed over his chest. “You’ve been treating us like god damn idiots since the first day of school, never letting anyone get close and always acting as if you were better than us—“

“I never—“

“—but now, you see that we’re _finally_ catching up to you,” he continued, getting fired up by his rant. “We’re all getting better and now that we actually got a chance at reaching your level, you hate it. Is that why you’re trying to turn us against that weirdo? Because of your stupid ego-complex?”

“Terasaka,” Isogai interfered, frowning. “That’s enough—“

“You never considered any of us your friends, or even your damn equals, ‘til now.” Her eyes widened at the accusation. “And now you’re asking us to trust you? Without even giving us any reason to? Any proof? We should just, what, take your word for it? And have you insult us on the whole way, too? You’re selfish and self-centered, and we’re supposed to just follow your every order without even the right to ask _why_? That’s bullshit and you know it!”

Ame was angry again, but it was different now. She was angry at _herself_ , because she didn’t know what more to do. She had tried to be honest with them, she thought they could all work things out together and get rid of the threat, she had fooled herself into thinking them trusted her…

_He’s right. Even if I didn’t mean to, I probably did act like that with them. I’m helping the girls, but it’s only because it sounded fun. If I didn’t have any interest in it, then I wouldn’t have agreed to. It’s even more selfish of me to ask that much from them when I never gave anything first. All they see is a chance that I’m taking away from them._

The E-Class wasn’t the Zodiac. The yakuza group trusted her instincts because of years of working together, but she only met those kids a few months earlier. She had been a fool for thinking her word actually meant anything to them. They probably felt like she was only manipulating them for her own gain.

In their eyes… In their eyes, _she_ was their enemy.

She exhaled deeply, glancing to the others now surrounding them. She noticed for a second that Karma wasn’t around, probably skipping (lucky bastard), but all the others… They were all avoiding her gaze, none saying a word. Having one last hope, she turned to Rio. However, the blonde simply lowered her head, unable to say anything.

For a moment, the stab in her chest felt so painful Ame almost stopped breathing.

_Of course she doesn’t trust me. Despite hanging out together for almost three years, I never told her anything. Hell, she doesn’t even know where I live! I’d surely be the last person to trust someone like me._

Biting her lower lip, Ame swallowed back words she knew she’d regret. It wasn’t their fault, it was hers, and she was now paying the price for it.

“I understand,” she let out, her voice even. “I’ll leave you be, then.”

Without another word, she passed through the students to go and sit under a tree farther away. Class was about to start and, despite everything that had just been said, she wasn’t about to leave them on their own. They refused to see the threat, and it was all on her. She had to take responsibility for this.

 _I’ll protect them by myself, then. They might not want my help, but they_ do _need it. I can’t just stand by and do nothing._

Terasaka’s words and the others’ silence were still burning her heart and mind. She couldn’t get them out of her head. Maybe they were blind, but she was too. In the long run, she had completely forgotten what it actually _meant_ to have friends. She took them for granted, simply gave herself that title without even bothering with the responsibilities that came with it.

_I really am the worst._

Ame shook her head. No, now really wasn’t the time for a pity-party. And in a way, it wasn’t all her fault either. True, she was selfish, and _yes_ , she maybe _was_ a little self-centered. But they never made the first move either, right? And she never told Rio much, but it’s not like she ever had a choice either! In the end, though, she could only draw to a single conclusion.

 _Leading a double-life is_ way _more complicated than first planned._

* * *

.

.

“Great—the gang’s all here!” Everyone was now in rank before Takaoka. Ame had placed herself in the second row, to the far left, and no one had dared to say anything to her yet. “Now, things could start getting a little tough, but I’ll have more delicious treats for you when it’s all over!”

“And you’re not just saying that because you want to eat them?” mused Hara.

“Well, gotta keep my figure,” replied the man, rubbing his tummy.

The student all laughed at that, saved for Ame. She was starting to understand what was going on, what kind of trap that man had set for the students. The stick and the carrot, right? They’d try harder to get the treat and avoid the punishment. But what kind of punishment could it be? What was he _truly_ planning?

_Tche, the Government really had to put up that new firewall now, didn’t it? I couldn’t get any info on the guy because of it…_

Everyone ended up sitting down. Ame brought her knees to her chest, watching Takaoka like a hawk, and ready to spring at the single sign of danger. She obviously hadn’t been able to put on her holsters, and she couldn’t keep her boots, but she still had the needles in her hair and a knife hidden under her shirt.

She was armed and determined. He didn’t stand a chance.

“Now then! Along with your new training regimen comes a new schedule!” he then announced.

The black-haired girl’s eyes widened slightly as he showed them said schedule, and she could tell the other students were just as shocked as she was.

_This is crazy…_

She loved training, but even she wasn’t such a maniac about it. There was barely any moment for their usual classes, it started very early and ended very late, they barely had any time to eat, sleep, or merely to relax… She knew it was simply too much for her classmates, who were only just starting to get the hang of regular fighting.

“No way!”

“T- ten periods?”

“Training until nine at night!?”

“But of course!” replied Takaoka, all innocently. “Following this curriculum will boost your abilities by leaps and bounds. Now, let’s get to work—!”

“Hey, wait a minute! This is impossible!” protested Maehara, cutting him off. The boy got up to face him properly. “With so little time for learning, our grades will plummet! And no free time either? We can’t do this!”

Ame stiffened as Takaoka suddenly placed his hand on the boy’s head. For anyone, it could have seemed like a comforting or compassionate gesture, but she instantly noticed the certain grip he had on the teen’s head. Before she could move, though, Takaoka harshly brought his knee up into his stomach, effectively knocking the wind out of the boy. Horrified gasps followed as the poor guy collapsed to the ground, half-unconscious and coughing harshly.

Ame gritted her teeth, clenching her fists.

_That fucking psycho…_

“ _We can’t_ , nothing. You _will_ ,” assured Takaoka, still smiling. “It’s like I said! We’re family, and I’m the dad. Show me a family that doesn’t do as the dad says.” All of the students were frozen in fear by now as a crazy glint lightened the man’s eyes. “If you want to sit out, sit out. I’ll use my authority to bring in new students to replace you. But… I don’t want to have to do that.” He suddenly became normal again. “After all, you’re my precious family. A father doesn’t want to lose a single one of his children. Let’s save the world together, kids—as a family!”

Ame forced herself not to do anything as Takaoka brought Kanzaki and Mimura in a mocking embrace. She needed to wait for the right time, she needed to be ready—

“Well? You’re coming along with your old dad, right?”

Shaking a little, Kanzaki rose to her feet to face him. “W- well… I, um…” She then straightened her back, determination settling in, and offered an innocent smile. “I don’t want to. I prefer Karasuma-san’s classes.”

_Now._

Ame moved before she even realized it. Without a second thought, she kicked Kanzaki’s feet from under her, making the girl fall on the ground. The landing was harsh, but it was better than the violent slap that had been about to meet her cheek. Takaoka’s hand swung in the air, never meeting its target. A heavy silence settled in as Ame slowly rose to her feet to face her enemy, a smirk settling in despite the situation.

_He’s just a brute. I can take him._

“Ya know, I don’t think it’s socially acceptable ta hit children,” she mused, hands lazily shoved in her pockets. “I could have yer ass sued for much less.”

“Ah, Naoki-chan. I have heard a lot about your particular attitude. I was wondering when you would act up,” he mused, cracking his knuckles. “I was waiting for this!”

He swung his fist at her, but she simply took a step back, moving away from the group while doing so. Takaoka grunted, turning to face her once more.

“You’re fast, uh?” He ran at her. “But not fast enough!”

She was, though. More than enough, in fact. She knew she couldn’t win when it came to mere strength, but she could easily tire him out and wait for him to make a mistake. She couldn’t use her weapons right away, she needed him to draw out his own first if she didn’t want to get into too much trouble, but she could take it. Her hands in her back, she was moving swiftly, easily avoiding his destructive punches.

“Ugh, stay still, ya brat!”

She almost rolled her eyes at that. _As if anyone would obey!_

“What’s wrong, Takaoka-sensei?” she taunted, her feet sliding on the ground like a skater on the ice. His punch passed mere centimeters away from her face, but it was calculated. “Gettin’ a little slow, aren’t ya?”

“Tche. Defying your father like that…” That crazy glint had entered his eyes again, and she could tell he was on the edge. “You’ll have to be severely punished!”

_Well, time for the final push!_

“Ya can’t catch me,” she assured, her smirk widening. “Ya can’t even _graze_ me. ‘Bout time ya gave up, isn’t it, Takaoka-sensei?”

If she pushed him to draw a weapon against her, her win was assured. She simply needed to push and push and push until his rage got the best of him and he made the fatal mistake. Suddenly, though, he stopped running after her, freezing in place.

“… can’t catch you, uh?” Ame stopped too, exactly three meters separating them. She was tensed, not liking how he was suddenly brimming with confidence again. “You’re right! You’re so fast and nimble on your feet, there’s no way I can get you. But… can you say the same for your oh-so-dear classmates?”

Her eyes widened in horror. She had been moving farther and farther from the group, trying to put a safe distance between the threat and them, but he had noticed, and _that_ had been her fatal mistake. Takaoka instantly started heading back for the group, obviously aiming for Kanzaki, whom he had missed earlier. Panicking, Ame didn’t think twice before running after him. He was closer to them, though, she needed to gain a few seconds—

_My needles!_

She pulled one of them out of the bun and threw it without hesitation. It firmly embedded itself in the ground, Takaoka’s foot catching into it. He stumbled, losing his balance. He didn’t fall, but it was enough for Ame to get ahead of him. She was now standing between him and the other students. She made it, she had won the battle… but she knew she had lost the war.

_Checkmate._

_Game over for me._

He obviously knew it too, for Takaoka walked back toward her at a leisure pace, his face broken by that innocent smile that had fooled everyone else. She didn’t move as he finally reached her, refrained the urge to stab him here and there as he grabbed her shoulder, braced herself for the pain to come—

Her nose cracked as his fist finally connected with its target. Her head spinning, the pain in her face was however replaced by the one from her stomach as he harshly kneed her in the guts. He threw her on the ground and kicked her for good measure as blood started dripping down her nose, the pain pinning her down for a moment.

_Too strong. Way, way too strong. Enhanced by drugs? Probably._

“Here’s what’s gonna happen now,” he announced, back to his normal persona. He clasped his hands happily. “Each time you act out and refuse to take your punishment, it’ll fall on one of your classmates’. Do you understand?”

She cursed under her breath, managing to drag herself into a sitting position. He roughly grabbed her hair, pulling her head up so that her eyes could meet his.

“I said: _do you understand?”_

“Yes,” she bit out, glaring at him with all of her might. “I fuckin’ get it.”

He finally released, and she started coughing. “Good! Now, let’s get back to work. We were about to start, yes?”

Despite all, though, Ame wouldn’t admit defeat. It meant pain, but she didn’t care. So, she forced herself to ignore said pain (it was lessening anyway) and rose back to her feet. Her legs were shaking slightly under her weight, but she simply wiped the blood from under her nose and straightened her spine, crossing her arms in her back.

“We were ta da point where ya were getting’ told off by a kid,” she informed casually, her voice a little weird. She coughed again. “And- and then, I thoroughly humiliated you. _Sir._ ”

Smiling as brightly as ever, Takaoka spun on his heels and brought his fist down on her skull. The harshness of the blow made her see stars spinning so fast it almost made her sick, and she couldn’t really think straight anymore, barely able to feel anything other than pain.

_Oh, I’m on the ground again…_

“—Takaoka!”

_That voice. That was a new voice. A student? No…_

_Karasuma-san…?_

Someone lifted her head. Finally able to focus back on reality somehow, she found the agent’s face above hers.

“—ki? Naoki? Oi, are you alright?”

At the question, she snorted, though only more blood spurted out. “Su- sure, bleedin’ like hell but I’m alright, sure.”

He nodded at that. If she could find the strength to laugh at the situation, of all things, then she’d be fine.

“What’s that all about, Karasuma?” chuckled Takaoka, cracking his knuckles. “I’m going easy on them, you know? After all, they’re my family.”

“No.” Korosensei suddenly showed up, his skin a bright red as anger took over. “They’re not your family—they’re my students. Just what have you been up to while my back was turned!?”

“Ooh, got a problem, monster?” mused Takaoka, not at all bothered by the angered creature. “P.E. is _my_ class to run, and these punishments fall well within the bounds of education. I don’t have much time to train up these assassins to kill you—of course I need to be tough on them. And so what if I am? Just because your views on education differ, is that any reason to attack a man who never did you any harm?”

Ame held back a sigh at that and forced herself back on her feet. It was still hurting, she could feel a headache coming, but it wasn’t anything she never felt before. Plus, the situation at hands was much more important. Right here and then, Takaoka had just gotten the best of Korosensei—the octopus couldn’t do anything to help them, no matter how much he wanted to, and Korosensei knew it too.

_Well, guess it really falls on me after all. This is going to be a looong day, isn’t it?_

* * *

.

.

They had to do three hundred squats.

 _Three fucking hundreds squats_.

Ame was nuts when it came to training. She loved physical activities and enjoyed pushing her limits. But _this_? Someone was bound to die. This training regimen wasn’t adapted for children and, while she could manage without risking ending up in the hospital, the same couldn’t be said of her classmates. Takaoka hadn’t given any of his punishments yet, everyone had been too scared to do anything after seeing what happened to her, but the training was harsh enough on its own.

Ame’s nose wasn’t broken, she knew that much, and it had stopped bleeding a little earlier. Her stomach was sore, but she could barely feel it now. Her head was throbbing like hell, though, and she sometimes saw dark spots obscuring her sight. She forced herself to keep going, though.

She could handle anything he threw at her.

“Ka- Karasuma-san…” suddenly pleaded Kurahashi, dropping to her knees in exhaustion.

That was the wrong thing to say. Takaoka was suddenly looming above her, the crazy glint there once again, and a sick grin stretching his lips as he loudly cracked his knuckles. Terror filled Kurahashi’s face, who seemed about to cry.

“Karasuma’s not part of our family,” he remarked tauntingly. “Punishment time. This is what happens to kids who don’t rely on their dad alone!”

Kurahashi closed her eyes in fear… but the blow never came. There was, however, the distinct noise of someone’s body hitting the ground. She opened her eyes, afraid of what she’d see… and found none other than Ame now laying at her feet.

“A- Ame-san…” she stuttered out, pale.

The black-haired girl completely ignored her, getting back on her feet to face Takaoka. She stared at him dead in the eyes, her chin held high.

“Ya wanna hurt someone, Takaoka-sensei?” She wiped the scarlet drops that had dripped down her chin when she bit her lip. “Then hurt me. All their punishments? I’ll take it in fuckin’ _double_.”

“Now, Naoki-chan, why would I agree to that, hmm?” mused the man.

“’Cause normal people feel bad when other people get hurt ‘cause o’ them,” she shrugged as casually as possible. “’Course, ya wouldn’t know, considerin’ you’re fuckin’ sick in da mind, but—“

She was cut off by a harsh punch in her guts. Another blow landed between her shoulder blades, making her hit the ground. A cloud of dust rose around her as Takaoka harshly stepped on her head, forcing her to eat some more dirt.

“You want to take their punishment? Fine! I’ll teach you to keep your mouth shut, as any dad would,” he assured, his eyes widened by his insanity. Keeping her on the ground, he lifted his head to look at all the other students. “Here’s the deal, kids! Each time one of you acts out, _she_ gets your punishment in _triple_!”

“That- that’s not fair!” managed to protest Sugaya, eyes wide.

“Ooh? Isn’t it?”

Takaoka bent over and grabbed Ame’s wrist, pulling her back on her feet. Then, he punched her in the face for the third time today. Grabbing her shoulders to keep her still, he brought his knee into her guts. As she collapsed, he kicked her so hard at least two ribs cracked as she flew a few meters away.

“That was for talking out of bounds, Sugaya-kun,” informed darkly their teacher. “Now, does anyone else want to complain?”

This time around, everyone stayed quiet. Gritting their teeth, they realized that the situation… it would only get worse, from here on out. None dared to look at Ame as she slowly made her way back to the group. She was walking as if nothing happened, but they all knew there was a problem because they could _hear_ her.

They could hear her walking.

They all knew they weren’t supposed to.

“Ame—“

The orange-eyed girl spared a glance and a smile for Rio. “Everything’s gonna be fine.”

On which she returned to her place. The blonde stared at her back with growing regrets, easily remembering what had been said—or rather _not_ said, barely a few hours before. It _was_ true that Ame was very secretive and _yes_ , she was rather self-centered… but if there was one thing Rio knew about her, it was that she was ready to do anything to protect whoever she considered her friends, even if it meant being hurt in the process.

She’d always look out for them, and she had forgotten about that until now.

_What have we done!?_

_What… what have I done…?_

* * *

“I- I can’t take it anymore…”

Kayano was ready to faint. However, her moment of weakness was instantly noticed by Takaoka, who had been watching the group like a hawk ready to swoop in on his prey. He was only waiting for the opportunity to bestow some more violence.

“My, my, we can’t have you giving up, can we?”

The green-haired girl realized her mistake too late and shot a horrified look at Ame, who was standing two rows before her. The teen didn’t even bother looking back to her, already waiting and ready for what was to come. She didn’t flinch as Takaoka arrived behind her, and Kayano could only cover her eyes with a whimper as their teacher put his hands together and brought them down on Ame’s head. The black-haired girl immediately collapsed, falling on her back. She stared at the sky for a few seconds, her head spinning, and spat out blood when Takaoka brought his feet down on her chest.

This time, something _definitely_ cracked.

_Fuck, Hana’s gonna kill me for being so reckless again…_

Her crazy teacher was about to slam his fist into her face for the nth time, but his whole arm was suddenly held back. There was a moment of stillness as all eyes fell upon none other than Karasuma, who was now gripping the man’s arm tightly.

“That’s enough, Takaoka. If you want to get violent, get violent with me,” he growled.

“Tche. I figured it was about time for you to stick your nose in, Karasuma,” snorted Takaoka. He freed himself from the man’s hold, straightening up. “It’s like I said: this isn’t violence, it’s education. I don’t want to engage with you through violence. If we do face off, it’ll be as teachers. I know!” He faced the rest of the class. “Choose the best of the students you’ve trained, Karasuma. They can fight me, and if their knife so much as touches me, I’ll concede that your style of education is better than mine and take my leave.”

Hope surged amongst the students as Takaoka went to his bag and started looking through it, before rubbing out a rubber knife.

“But we won’t be using these old things,” he warned. He then pulled out a real knife, which glinted dangerously in the sunlight. “No, you’ll be killing me… and that means you’ll need the real thing.”

“A real knife?” A nervous drop of sweat rolled down Karasuma’s forehead. “Enough! They’re neither trained nor prepared to kill a human!”

“Relax—stopping just before contact will count as a hit,” assured Takaoka, chuckling darkly. “And I’m barehanded. What more of a handicap do you want? Well, Karasuma? Pick one already!” He threw the knife at Karasuma’s feet. “It’s that… or obey me unconditionally.”

Karasuma paused, still unsure about everything. Could he truly expose a student with a hint of potential to such danger? Someone grabbed the knife before him, though.

“I’ll- I’ll do it.” Ame forced herself back to her feet, brandishing the knife before her. “I can handle it—“

“Ame, that’s _enough_ ,” Rio however interfered, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Look, your hand’s shaking so badly the blade isn’t straight! You need to sit down and take a break.”

“But I- I can—“

“Ame-san.” The girl snapped her eyes to Isogai, who was now standing next to her. He offered her a hesitant smile. “You’ve done enough. Let us handle the rest.”

Ame didn’t want to. She knew she was the best when it came to knife fighting and, contrarily to them, she fought with real knives almost every day. If she didn’t fight, then she couldn’t protect whoever did, and they’d get hurt and she simply couldn’t bear the thought of it—

“Naoki, sit this one out,” then ordered Karasuma, before gesturing to the other students. “Trust in your classmates, if only this time around.”

The words acted like a slap, and it knocked whatever fight was left in her. Groaning, she handed the knife back, feeling her injuries act up. Rio grabbed her arm and passed it around her neck to help her walk to the building.

“I- I still wanna see da fight,” mumbled the girl.

“Sheesh, you’re so stubborn…” sighed Rio, who agreed nonetheless.

She helped her to the stairs and again helped her to sit, before sitting next to her to watch what was going to happen next.

“Ame?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

They didn’t say any more, knowing they didn’t have to. They’d talk about things later, once the situation was better and Ame wasn’t as lightheaded.

Karasuma ended up picking Nagisa. It didn’t come as much of a surprise to Ame since she knew the man had come to the same conclusions as she did when it came to the blue-haired boy’s potential. And, in the end, she realized that she wasn’t all that worried about him. She knew what he could do… and she trusted him.

She knew he could win.

_Do it, Nagisa. Don’t hesitate, and win._

_For everyone._

A wet towel was presented to her. Startled, she glanced up to Irina.

“You have blood all over your face,” she flatly stated.

“… thank you.”

She grabbed the towel and started wiping her face. As expected, the white tissue quickly turned red. It didn’t really bother her, though. She was used to stuff like that. The first year in the Zodiac hadn’t exactly been a walk in the park, after all, and she distinctly remembered the strength behind Dale’s hits. His training sessions had been tough, but they were the reason why she got this far in their line of work.

“Hey, it’s starting!”

At Rio’s warning, Ame snapped out of her thoughts to report her attention on the fight that was about to unfold. Nagisa was brandishing the knife before him, obviously unsure of how to wield a real blade, but he wasn’t shaking like an amateur would, so that was a good start.

 _This isn’t a fight, Nagisa,_ warned Ame, even though silently. _You don’t need to fight. Make contact once and it’s over—your win._

A tense silence fell upon the group. Then, understanding suddenly dawned on Nagisa, something Ame instantly noticed. Her pain seemed to fade away as smugness took over: Takaoka was _done_ for.

“Wha- what’s he doing?” gaped Rio.

The black-haired girl grinned at the blonde’s question. “An assassination.”

Because Nagisa, contrarily to all expectations, had lowered his blade and was now walking toward their sadistic teacher with a bright smile on his face. He only stopped once he quite literally collided with the man, who had failed to notice the threat that was approaching him so innocently.

It was too late, though.

_Checkmate, Takaoka-sensei._

Nagisa suddenly swung his knife at his opponent, who stumbled backward in surprise. The boy used his weight against him, pushing him to the ground. Almost in the blink of an eye, he slithered around the man’s still falling body and, when Takaoka finally met the dirt, he was already trapped by Nagisa with the knife pressed against his neck.

The silence became even heavier, if possible. Then, Ame started laughing—loudly.

“Woo! Go Nagisa!” she cheered.

Her laughs soon turned into a violent coughing fit, though, and Rio grimaced as red drops splattered on the stairs. Something was suddenly shoved into her hand, and it took her a second to realize it was a glass of water that Korosensei had handed her on his way out.

“Here, Ame,” she proposed, instantly handing it to the other teen.

“Th- thanks.”

She calmed down, slowly drinking her water as Korosensei went to separate Nagisa and Takaoka, taking away the knife and announcing the end of the fight. A moment later, the students gathered around Nagisa to congratulate him. Ame however tensed when realizing Takaoka wasn’t done yet.

“Wa- watch out!” She coughed some more.

Her classmates stiffened at her warning. At the same moment, the defeated and humiliated teacher rose back to his feet, utter rage written all over his face and obviously ready to break some faces.

“You damn brats… Turning on your father figure and rejoicing in some fluke victory!? Again!” he spat, veins bulging on his forehead. “I’ll tear you in two—body and soul!”

Without hesitation, Ame grabbed the second needle still in her hair and threw it at the man. Her aim was a little off, flying closer to his eyes than intended, but it did get her point across as it embedded itself to the hilt in the ground farther away, just after grazing his face.

“I- I fuckin’ dare you,” she growled, her tone dark.

But then her ribs screamed for justice and the wave of pain that washed over her made her keel over in the stairs with a pained moan.

“Ame! Stop pushing yourself already!” scolded Rio, handing her the towel back.

The black-haired girl grumbled under her breath, truly giving up. Worsening her state wouldn’t help anyone, and it _did_ hurt. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been hurt so badly in a fight but, then again, it was probably the first time she hadn’t been allowed to fight back. She now realized that she possessed a great weakness, one she could never get rid of… but, in a way, she couldn’t bring herself to mind.

Nagisa suddenly stepped up, drawing her attention.

“If we fought again, I’d lose for sure,” he stated bluntly. “But what’s plain to see is that Korosensei is our teacher, and Karasuma-san is our training instructor. And that’s final. You and your forced father-figure role don’t come across half as warm as Karasuma-san and his professionalism.” He then bowed. “We’re grateful you really tried to make us stronger… but I’m sorry. Please leave.”

Takaoka was so angry he was foaming at the mouth. “I ain’t gonna stand here and listen to this brat spouting off!”

He bounced on the poor boy. Before he could reach him, though, Karasuma suddenly stepped between the two. In a single blow to the jugular, he completely took out the madman, who collapsed at his feet.

“I apologize for the trouble my colleague caused,” then announced Karasuma. “Don’t worry about what comes next. I’ll negotiate with my superiors to resume my teaching position.”

Relief instantly washed over the E-Class: their nightmare was _finally_ over.

“You- you think I’ll let you get one over me like that!?” however spat the man. “I’ll—“

“There’s no need to negotiate.”

At the new voice, everyone startled and watched with wide eyes as their very own Principal arrived on the field and walked right up to Takaoka.

“Principal Asano!”

“I was curious as to how our newest teacher was doing and saw the whole thing.” He kneeled to get on Takaoka’s level and grabbed his chin to make the man look at him in the eyes. “Takaoka-san, your lesson was a joke. Yes, fear is a must in education. However, a teacher who can only instill fear through violence is a teacher of the lowest order indeed.” He suddenly released him and rose back to his feet, though not before shoving some papers in the sadist’s mouth. “Your walking papers. You see, the Ministry of the Defense has no hiring rights here. I call the shots around here—and don’t you forget it.”

Takaoka’s rage was so intense… Ame simply had no words to describe it. She seriously doubted she ever saw someone in such an irate state before and, frankly, she hoped she’d never see it again. However, even though maddened by his emotions, Takaoka knew he had no power anymore, and so he ran away with his tail between his legs, cursing on the whole way. Once he was gone, Ame finally allowed herself to relax. The danger was gone, the threat had been handled, and everything would be fine now.

“—san? Naoki-san?”

It took the black-haired girl a moment to notice the Principal, who was now standing before her and Rio. Also, now that she thought about it, the blonde was holding her, as if she had been falling forward…

“You know, I think I blacked out for a second,” she murmured, somewhat confused.

“Principal Asano was asking you how injured you were, and if you needed to go to the hospital,” repeated Rio, frowning in worry. “You really should, though. He beat you up pretty badly—“

“No. No, I don’t- I don’t need to,” refused instantly the teen, shaking her head. It was a bad idea, though, as everything suddenly spun and twisted around her. “Ugh, stop moving…”

“Naoki-san, I’m afraid you might be suffering from a mild concussion,” then remarked Korosensei, suddenly appearing next to the Principal. “And it is possible that you suffer from internal damage too. The hospital is the best—“

“No hospital!” she snapped. She spat some blood on the grass, trying to get rid of the awful taste lingering in her mouth. “I’m fine!”

“Naoki, you’re obviously not,” sighed Karasuma, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Stop being so stubborn. I’ll drive you there—“

“Ya can’t! No hospital!” insisted the girl, now edging on panic. She felt sick and okay, _maybe_ she needed to see a professional, but that wasn’t the point. “Just- just take me home or somethin’, I’ll be as good as new tomorrow—“

“The state you are in will not be arranged with only some rest and a few painkillers, Naoki-san,” then remarked the Principal. His voice was smooth, though bland, but Ame still felt the urge to look at him. “Why do you not wish to go to the hospital?”

“I…” After a few seconds, she found herself unable to stand his gaze. She lowered her eyes, somewhat ashamed as the answer stumbled out of her mouth. “I… can’t afford it. I don’t have that- that kind of money.”

If she could simply find her way to Headquarters, they’d work things out and call in a few favors to get her patched up in the blink of an eye. Who knew? Maybe Yagi was back and he’d take a look at her. And all that without even having to tell her grandmother! But these guys didn’t know that— _couldn’t_ know that, and she guessed it was only natural for them to want to send her to the hospital. It cost a lot, though, and she didn’t even know if she suffered from anything really, _really_ serious. If she wasn’t on the verge of dying, then why bother—

“You needn’t worry yourself with such matters.” The words didn’t register right away but, when they did, Ame looked back to the Principal in disbelief. He merely offered her one of his blank smiles. “As you have suffered those injuries on school grounds, and from a teacher under our supervision at that, it is only natural for the school to pay for any damages. Your hospital fee and whatever you need for your recovery will be paid for in full.”

The black-haired girl gaped at him, unable to say anything. Such a generous offer was the last thing she expected from that man.

“I… Thank you.”

“Of course.”

He then started walking away, obviously done with the whole matter. Ame watched him go, still a little puzzled. In the end, though, she decided to not make a fuss about it. Free stuff was free stuff, right?

“—Ame!”

She jumped, staring at Rio with wide eyes. “Wha… Oh. I think I blacked out again.”

“He really got your head, hasn’t he?” sweatdropped the blonde. “I’ve called you four times already.”

“Sorry… It’s kinda hard ta focus right now,” admitted the girl. “Rio?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m tired…”

That earned her a chuckle from the blue-eyed girl, who gently guided her friend’s—yes, her _friend’s_ —head on her lap.

“It’s okay, Ame. Get some rest. You deserve it.”

Ame simply hummed under her breath, already slipping into Morpheus’ embrace. In barely ten seconds, she had fallen asleep, her breathing soon reaching a regular pace. Korosensei then arrived before them, his tentacles carefully lifting the now unconscious girl.

“I will go put her in your car, Karasuma-san,” he announced. “I shall also inform her family of her whereabouts.”

“Understood. Though, refrain on giving any… details, about the situation,” warned Karasuma. “I’ll handle the explanations.”

“Yes, yes!”

The octopus then vanished at Mach 20 speed. After a few seconds, Karasuma sighed. Even though it was finally over, he should have acted earlier. He knew Naoki could handle herself, but those injuries could have easily been avoided if he had been more certain of his position sooner. His eyes then fell on his students ( _his_!)… but he soon noticed something was wrong. He had expected joy or relief or something of the sort, but all of their faces merely reflected regret or were simply expressionless, deep in thoughts.

“What is it?”

He seriously hoped it wasn’t anything serious. He was only just getting acquainted with that teacher role, and it had been more than enough emotions for one day.

“… Ame-san tried to warn us,” then sighed Isogai. “About Takaoka-san. She tried to tell us that he was dangerous, that we couldn’t trust him, but… we wouldn’t listen. We…”

“We couldn’t trust her either,” resumed bluntly Terasaka, crossing his arms over his chest. Sure, maybe he had been a _tad_ bit harsh, but he hadn’t been _entirely_ in the wrong either. “So we didn’t.”

“We didn’t know where to stand, and we said some pretty awful stuff to her,” added Kayano, fidgeting a little.

“It’s more like we didn’t say anything,” corrected somberly Maehara.

“If we had just listened to her, maybe she wouldn’t be in this state right now,” pointed out Rio, looking down. Her fists clenched. “She’s always been secretive beyond belief, but she never really meant anything by it. And yeah, she can be a little selfish… but she’s also ready to give up everything to protect those she loves. Those she calls family. Those she calls friends. Like…” Her shoulders slumped a little more. “Like us.”

Silence took over the group. Karasuma could only watch as most lowered their eyes in shame. After a few more seconds, he sighed once again.

“Naoki isn’t the easiest person to read,” he agreed, running a hand through his hair. “And yes, she has many secrets. However, from what I’ve gathered ever since I started working here, she doesn’t mean any harm. The only times she truly lashes out are when some of you are threatened in some sort of way.” He hesitated for a moment, before forcing away his doubts. They needed to build some trust in the group, and maybe now was the time to get started. “Naoki doesn’t have it easy right now. I can’t go into the details, only she can tell you the full story, but she’s stuck in a rather precarious situation and so she’s rather suspicious of others. However, if there is one thing you can trust, it’s her instincts. I’m not asking you to follow her blindly next time around, but merely to consider the context and her abilities, if nothing else.” He then readjusted his tie, before heading away. “Anyhow, if you wish to know, then ask her yourselves. I will see you tomorrow at our next P.E. class.”

The students waved goodbye as he walked away, before exchanging a few looks. It would seem Ame had gotten even more mysterious, which wasn’t exactly a good thing considering how secretive she already was. But, then again, they never really thought that there might have been an actual, valid reason as to _why_ she never told them anything.

Now, though… Now, what should they do?


	15. Fifteenth Period: Forgive & Forget Time

Ame _did_ end up going to the hospital. As promised by the Principal, all fees were covered by the school. Of course, her grandmother had been much more worried about why she ended up there in the first place rather than the money, but Karasuma calmly handled the situation and explained that a few higher students had ganged up on Ame. The teachers had interfered as quickly as possible, and the “students” had been expelled on the spot.

Unfortunately, it didn’t make the old woman feel all that much better. The school was supposed to be a safe environment, right? She knew about the E-Class system but never believed it could get so bad. Yet, when she reunited with her granddaughter, her worries were quickly pushed aside by the teen: Ame had smiled, promising she was fine. And, while Asahina Ami knew how her granddaughter always lied about that sort of things, she couldn’t help but believe her this time around. Because, even though she was now lying in bed, covered in bandages, she had that special spark in her orange eyes.

A _happy_ light.

_When was the last time I saw that light in your eyes, Ame-chan?_

So, deciding not to probe and push for more answers, her caretaker simply dropped the subject, deciding to instead nurse Ame back to full health.

_If that E-Class managed to get that light back in her eyes…_

_Then maybe… maybe it isn’t so bad for her, after all._

* * *

.

.

Ame stayed at the hospital for five days. For those five whole days, she was visited by the kids, of course, but also surprisingly by many of her classmates. Most she only saw once, a few dropped by only for a dozen of minutes, but seeing them made her feel less lonely, even if they probably came because they felt bad more than anything else. Of course, Hana and Saru dropped by too. Hana thoroughly scolded her, while their Leader praised her for standing up for her friends. The two older members then left her with the promise that the hospital was watched at all times and that, if the need ever arose, they’d easily get her to safety before any kind of threat could reach her.

And, when Ame finally returned to school, she was greeted by Korosensei.

“Good morning, Naoki-san! Are you feeling better?”

“Uh? Yeah, no worries,” she assured. “You were right about the concussion, too. Good call, the doctors were able to treat it instantly instead of waiting a few days to see the symptoms.”

“Niryufufufu! I am happy to hear that.” They started heading up the mountain. “Will you be able to go back to training soon?”

“Ugh, I have to wait a whole week,” she huffed, shoving a hand in her pocket, the other holding her bag over her shoulder. “So annoying…”

“Though this might be for the best. Some rest never killed anyone, you know?” mused her teacher.

“Meh, there’s a first for everything. For all you know, I could suffocate myself with my pillow by accident.”

A nervous sweat rolled down the octopus’ face. “Please don’t say such dark things so casually.”

She simply shrugged. It _was_ true, wasn’t it?

 _Though I guess he’s not wrong either… I_ was _beaten up pretty badly, uh?_

But the pain wasn’t anything new for Ame. Danger was the usual for her, had been for many years now. She was simply glad it wasn’t the case for her classmates.

* * *

.

.

“AME!!!”

“Rio—ugh!”

Both girls fell on the floor, Ame’s body softening Rio’s landing. The black-haired teen groaned in pain.

“Ow… Rio, da ya want ta send me back ta da hospital or somethin’? Damn…”

“Ah ah, sorry!” laughed the blonde, getting off of her. She extended her hand to help her back on her feet. “I’m just happy that you’re back! Class isn’t the same without you, you know?”

Ame grabbed her hand and let her pull her back up. She then dusted herself, smirking knowingly.

“More like you missed someone who appreciates your horrible English puns.”

Rio sighed dramatically. “You know me too well!”

There was a moment of silence during which they stared at each other. Then, the two girls started laughing. Rio then pulled Ame into a proper hug.

“Seriously, though: I’m glad you’re back.”

“Glad to be back.”

They separated, before going to sit to their desks to chat about what Ame had missed in the last few days. It wasn’t much, and they mostly laughed about Korosensei’s usual antics. Neither of them mentioned the… the incident, but maybe it was for the best.

“Ooh? Look who’s finally back.”

“Karma!” Ame bumped her fist against his. “How’s it going?”

“Meh. Classes were a little boring without you around,” he shrugged, sitting on the desk in front of hers. “Anyway, I heard you got a pretty rough beating, uh?”

Students were slowly starting to fill the classroom. Many waved to Ame or greeted her, welcoming her back. Ame simply waved or greeted them back with an easy-going smile, before reporting her attention on Karma.

“Yeah, it wasn’t exactly the best day of my life,” she admitted, rubbing the back of her head. “I got a mild concussion, a few cracked ribs, and my nose was broken too. But I’m fine, now! Don’t worry about it, ‘kay?”

He stared at her for a few seconds, searching for a sign indicating she was lying in her eyes, but she seemed genuine, which made him click his tongue in annoyance.

“You got beaten to a pulp to protect people who don’t even care about you.” The air in the classroom suddenly became heavier as his words reached all of the students present. “That’s pretty messed up, wouldn’t you say?”

Ame narrowed her eyes at him, her smile dropping instantly. “It was _my_ choice, and also _my_ mistake. Don’t go blaming anyone other than me for what happened.”

“ _Your_ mistake?” He lifted an eyebrow, unimpressed. “You tried to help, but they wouldn’t listen, and you ended up in the hospital because they were too _weak_ to handle themselves. How can this be your fault?”

“ _I’m_ the one who decided to provoke Takaoka!” protested Ame. “You’re being unfair! _I’m_ the one who challenged him and who kept taunting him, and _I’m_ the one who told him to—“

“The only reason he managed to trap you is that he used the class against you, isn’t it?” the red-haired boy cut her off with a knowing look, crossing his arms over his chest. “And yeah, _maybe_ you were too stubborn to back down—but that’s nothing new. What I don’t _get_ is why you tried to hard to protect everyone despite everything.”

“Of course ya wouldn’t get it,” retorted Ame, growing angry. “Ya weren’t even there in da damn first place!”

A silence.

A heartbeat.

Then, Karma lowered his head.

“No. No, you’re right, I wasn’t there. But… I should have been. I’m sorry, Ame.”

The black-haired girl’s anger deflated in the span of a second. The proud boy was apologizing? What for?

“I wasn’t there. But… I should have been.”

 _He feels guilty_ , she realized, her eyes widening a little. _He was skipping while the whole class was dealing with Takaoka—while_ I _was dealing with him._ _This is stupid. He couldn’t have known. Has this… How long has this been on his mind?_

“Karma…”

“He’s right, Ame-san.”

She jumped a little, turning to Kataoka. The girl’s expression was closed off, but she could easily read the regrets in her eyes.

“You tried to warn us. You tried to help us. But… we wouldn’t listen.” The taller girl then bowed deeply. “I’m truly sorry it had to come to this. Had we trusted you… maybe things wouldn’t have ended this way.”

“But…”

She trailed off as the rest of the students followed Kataoka’s example, bowing lowly before her.

“WE DEEPLY APOLOGIZE!”

The black-haired teen gaped at them for a few seconds, unsure of what to do or say. Of all things, she hadn’t expected this. When they came to visit her to the hospital, they had all acted to cheerful, as if nothing had happened… While she was happy to see them, she frankly thought it was more out of pity, or guilt.

She didn’t think they _actually_ cared.

“I… I should be the one apologizing,” she let out, averting her gaze. She stared down at clenched fists. “I know I’m not exactly a good friend, or even a good person altogether, but... Terasaka was right in doubting me.” That earned her many surprised and startled looks, and she glanced at the mentioned boy, who was watching everything happen in the corner farther away with a blank look on his face. “Logically thinking, none of you guys should have trusted me. I never gave you a reason to do so. And… in a way, I didn’t trust you guys either. So, I’m the one who’s sorry. For… not realizing this sooner.”

She bowed her head. A tensed moment of silence passed.

Then, Kurahashi let out a sob, instantly breaking the tension.

“You- you were hurt so badly because of me!” she cried, latching her arms around Ame’s neck. “I’m _sooooorry_! Wah!”

Ame blinked repeatedly, startled. Then, a small, relieved laugh escaped her lips, and she patted Kurahashi’s head in comfort. The sweet girl looked up to her, tears in her eyes.

Ame simply smiled at her. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Don’t worry about the rest, okay?”

…

…

…

“WAAAAH!”

Kurahashi started bawling her eyes out, hugging Ame tightly. The black-haired girl shook her head in amusement, while the rest of the class started laughing and trying to comfort the poor girl. Ame then glanced at Karma, who hadn’t said a word for a while.

“Karma?”

“Hmm?”

“Next time you want to skip, you could at _least_ have the decency to invite me.”

The red-haired boy gaped at her for a second, eyes wide.

Then, he chuckled, before his usual smug smirk settled on his lips. “Will do.”

* * *

.

.

“Phew! Helter swelter! I understand this is what it’s like in Osaka when a heat wave hits.”

“So hot… Why’s he got us out here on the back of the mountain?” groaned Sugino.

“If he’s looking for a pool, there’s one at the main campus,” informed Ritsu. “However, it’s not in this direction, is it?”

“Nope,” confirmed Ame, fighting back a wince. _Ugh, I need to sit down for a bit. My ribs are killing me!_ “Though I’m ready to bet he has something else in mind.”

“But he made us wear our school swimsuits,” pointed out Rio.

The black-haired girl shrugged. “Maybe he built us a pool?”

That made her friend snort. “Yeah, right. As if Korosensei would build a pool—“

“All right, we’re here! Behold!” He pushed some bushes out of the way… revealing a pool. “A pool I made specially just for the E-Class!”

Rio facepalmed, while Ame snickered a little. It would seem their teacher had gone out of his way once again to surprise his students. However, the shock soon turned to joy. A break at last, after such a stressful week? They could work with that. Throwing aside their jackets, the students wasted no time in jumping into the pool. It was hot and the water was nice, and they truly couldn’t have asked for more at the moment.

“Hey, Ame-chan! You’re not coming in?” then wondered Kayano, already settled on an inflatable ring.

“Actually, I can’t,” admitted the teen. She did sit on the edge, though, putting her legs in the water. She then pulled up her shirt a little, showing her bandaged ribcage. “If I go in, the bandages won’t hold.”

“Ooh…”

“Hey, Ame! Reflex!”

Without thinking, she threw one of the rubber knives at the inflatable ball flying in her direction, effectively sending it back to Rio, who caught it with a grin.

“Seems like you’re recuperating well, uh?” she mused.

“Please, I could throw those things with my eyes closed and still hit dead center,” snorted the black-haired girl. “Piece of cake, really.”

“Hey, Ame!” She tilted her head Maehara’s way. He was pulling something out of his bag—“I picked those up after you left. They’re yours, right?”

She blinked a few times, surprised, as the boy handed her back the sharp needles she had used against Takaoka a few days prior. To be honest, she had completely forgotten about those until now, which made her think she really ought to take better care of her equipment.

“Yeah, they’re mine.” She took them back, before offering him a small smile. “Thanks, Maehara.”

“Uh? Sure thing!” He then offered a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head. “Though, you might wanna clean them up before putting them back in your hair…”

“What? Why…” She trailed off when noticing the few traces of blood on them. Her eyes widened, and she instantly looked at his hands. Three of his fingers were bandaged. “Shit, is it yours? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m totally fine!” he assured, still grinning. “It was just an accident. I didn’t think they’d be sharp. You know, considering how you threw them so easily…”

“But that’s because I’m used to them and know how to handle them,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “Though I can’t say I didn’t cut my fingers the first few weeks… Look, it’s actually pretty easy. You take it between your thumb and those two fingers, and there’s this one spot that’s blunt so that you can wield them. Then, you take your position and—“ She threw it at the inflatable ball Rio was still holding, and it instantly popped in her hands. “—throw. See? Easy peasy.”

“Thanks, Ame,” drawled the blonde girl, the now deflated ball still in her hands.

“Whoops, sorry about that. Hey, can you bring me back my needle?”

“Sure, sure…”

Rio, having done this before, grabbed said needle with practiced ease before it could sink any lower in the pool. It wasn’t the first time Ame used those around her, and so she knew how to pick them up without hurting herself.

“Man, that’s really cool,” then mused Maehara. “Mind if I try?”

“Throwing?”

“Yeah!”

“Well, I don’t mind showing you how,” accepted the girl, before smirking. “Though, you might wanna wait until we’re not surrounded by people?”

He paled a little at that. “Right. Maybe later?”

“Sure.”

“Great!”

“Ne, Ame-chan!” Kurahashi suddenly swam up to them, just as Rio reached them too. “How come you’re so good at this? Can you throw anything? Do you always hit your targets?”

“I trained, more or less, and yes,” answered the teen without missing a beat.

“What? No way you can _always_ hit your target!” then refuted Yoshida, hanging out a little farther with Muramatsu and Hazama.

She smirked at that. “Wanna bet?”

“You’re on!”

* * *

.

.

Before she could really understand what was happening, Ame found herself displaying her throwing abilities. She began with the anti-sensei knives and her sharp needles before the other students soon started bringing her more and more things to throw, along with more and more challenging targets. At first, she had to throw rocks, then other inflatable balls they found lying around, and also a kickboard at some point.

And yes, she _did_ hit all of her targets.

“Man, I have no idea of how you do it,” groaned Okajima. “This is crazy!” His eyes then widened. “Are you secretly a ninja?”

“Ah! As if!” The girl grinned, throwing yet another rock, and this time hitting the dead center of the ‘no running!’ sign on the other side of the pool. “I’ve just trained a lot. And, well, I guess it comes naturally.”

“Hey, Ame!” Karma suddenly handed her anti-BB balls. “Can you throw those at Korosensei?”

“I could, but it’d be a waste, considering he’ll see them coming,” pointed out the orange-eyed girl. She then glanced at the octopus, who hadn’t move from his chair since they got there. “Ne, Karma? Would you mind checking something out for me?”

His eyes glinted a little at that. “Ooh?”

* * *

.

.

“Kimura-kun! No running on the poolside!”

“Watch the breath-holding, girls!”

“I’m confiscating this camera, Okajima-kun!”

“Hazama-san, stop reading—go swim!”

Korosensei was obviously enjoying being at the top of his little world. He was being fussy, though, and it did put a damper on everyone else’s mood. However, no matter how much he pushed the students to follow the rules, he never came down from his chair to actually come and scold them. Narrowing her eyes, Ame signaled for Kurahashi to move. The orange-haired girl nodded, before approaching their teacher. Once, she was close enough, she grinned up at the octopus.

“Korosensei! Don’t be such a stick in the mud! Have a splash!”

She tried to splash him with water. Instantly, a weirdly girly scream followed at their teacher backed away, trying to avoid the drops as much as he could. There was a moment of confused silence. Taking the opportunity, Karma moved in. Grabbing the ladder, he started shaking the chair to try and make their teacher fall off.

“Karma!” panicked the yellow creature. “Stop it! I’ll fall in! I’m going to fall! Do you hear me!? I’ll fall in! PLEASE!”

 _I was right_ , realized Ame, biting back a victorious grin.

Without a sound, she rose to her feet and started heading for the chair.

“I- I just don’t feel like swimming, that’s all,” informed their teacher, obviously lying. “It’s not like my tentacles get all swollen so I can’t move or anything…”

_Now!_

Karma and her exchanged a glance. Then, in a single movement, they both kicked the chair, instantly making it fall forward. Korosensei screamed but managed to escape his fate at the last second, using his tentacles to hold himself above the water.

“Whew, that was a close call…” He then lifted his head at the two students, who were smirking at him. “That was uncalled for, Karma-kun, Naoki-san! I will—“

“Say, I thought it was a kickboard,” mused the girl, holding… his snack. “But it’s actually a wafer. Anyone wants some?”

The students instantly started cheering, lifting their hands, while their teacher panicked once more. His snack! His precious snack! But, first… he needed to find a way out of his current and rather precarious position.

_Gah! Damn your diabolical minds, Karma-kun, Naoki-san!_

* * *

.

.

Ame was sleeping on her desk, Rio playing mindlessly with her hair while some of the other students talked with Korosensei about motorcycles. Yoshida was obviously glad to finally have someone sharing his interest and was talking excitedly. Korosensei ended up building a model of a famous bike out of wood.

“Are you serious, Korosensei!?” exclaimed Yoshida, gaping. “It’s just like the real thing! It’s—”

“The hell are you doing, Yoshida?”

The boy stiffened at that, turning his head to Terasaka, who had just come in. The boy was obviously already ticked off, and Yoshida felt a nervous sweat roll down his temple. Whatever was coming up next, he seriously doubted he’d find a way out of it.

“H- hey, Terasaka!” he greeted, deciding to act as per usual. “Korosensei and I were talking about motorcycles the other day, since no one else around here is into them, and…”

“Not only am I a grown-up, but I am also a capital-M Man among men,” assured the octopus, patting the model he had just built. “I’ve been known to dabble in this kind of hobby. And this baby can hit 300 kilometers an hour! Maa, what I wouldn’t give to ride the real thing one day…”

“You’re kidding, right?” retorted Yoshida with a snort. “It’d be faster just to hold it and fly!”

At that, the rest of the students started laughing. However, it seemed to be the wrong thing to say, for Terasaka’s eye twitched violently. Then, his anger taking over, he harshly kicked the model Korosensei had built, making it crash on the floor.

The loud noise instantly startled Ame awake.

‘ _SHTUNK’_

The sound of something making impact drew all’s attention back to the angry boy, only to find Terasaka frozen in place, with a sharp needle embedded in the wood of the doorframe, just a few centimeters away from his head.

 _Too close_! The students paled, while Terasaka gulped.

“Urgh…” Ame slowly straightened up in her seat, half-glaring at him. “Did you _have_ to wake me up like that…?”

“Did ya have ta try and skewer ma damn face!?” snapped back the boy.

“Trust me, if I had _actually_ tried to hit you, you’d already be down for the count,” she scoffed. Then, her eyes landed on a sobbing Korosensei, and confusion swirled in her eyes. “Wait, why is Korosensei crying?”

“Gah! You made him cry!” exclaimed Rio in horror, pointing an accusing finger at Terasaka.

“Apologize to him!” ordered Okano.

“Yeah! That was uncalled for!” agreed Okajima.

The rest of the students followed suit, aggravating their classmate more and more until he reached his breaking point.

“You guys are just buzzing like a bunch of bugs…” He grabbed something hidden under his desk and suddenly threw it on the floor between him and the rest of the students. “Time for an extermination!”

Smoke instantly filled the classroom, though the smell was sharp enough to hurt their noses. Most closed their eyes, unsure if it was toxic.

“What was that!?”

“I can’t see!”

“A bug bomb?”

A cloth held over her mouth and her nose, Ame narrowed her eyes at the scene. It wasn’t a normal bug bomb, it shouldn’t have open so easily. Plus, the substance was simply wrong. It shouldn’t create smoke like that, or at least not that dense.

“Terasaka-kun!” exclaimed Korosensei, now angry. He placed a tentacle on the boy’s shoulder. “Pranks are pranks, but this is going too—“

Terasaka instantly shoved him off. “Don’t touch me, _monster_. You’re beyond creepy—and so are all of you, getting pulled into being all buddy-buddy with a monster!”

Silence ensued his exclamation, all unsure of what to make of it. Ame simply kept silent, wondering where exactly this was going.

“What’s got your knickers knotted, uh?” then mused Karma, who was leaning against the wall. He seemed amused by the whole ordeal. “If you don’t like it, just kill him. I mean, that’s kind of what we’re here for.”

His voice was condescending on purpose, the orange-eyed girl could easily tell. He was baiting Terasaka, pushing his buttons and trying to get under his skin—probably so that he’d reveal whatever scheme he had in mind.

“You trying to start somethin’?” growled the misfit. “Fine by me! From day one, you've been—“

He barely took one step in the red-haired boy’s direction, before being stopped in his tracks as Karma harshly grabbed his face, keeping him in place with ease.

“Now, now, Terasaka.” Karma’s eyes glinted. “If you want to fight, actions must come before words.”

“Let go!” Terasaka slapped his hand away, stumbling back. “Bunch o’ losers…”

He then stomped out of the classroom, sliding the door shut behind him. Ame sighed slightly, glancing to her red-haired friend.

“That was a little cruel, Karma.”

“Maa, maa, he’ll get over it,” shrugged the boy, walking up to the door.

He then proceeded to pull the needle out of the doorframe, careful not to cut himself while doing so. A moment later, he handed it back to her, clearly amused.

“I think you’ve lost this. _Again_.”

“Aa. Thanks.”

With practiced ease, she placed it back in the small holster hidden under her sleeve. The rest of the students sweatdropped at the sight.

 _She’s not even bothering hiding her weapons anymore!_ They all thought.

“Anyway, what was that all about?” then wondered Maehara, bringing back everyone’s attention on the current situation.

“He just has to stir things up,” sighed Isogai.

At that, Ame exchanged a glance with Karma. They both knew Terasaka was acting rather suspiciously but, no matter how she thought about it, she simply couldn’t find an answer.

_Well, I guess we’ll see when it comes up, uh?_

* * *

.

.

The door of the small café slammed open, the bell ringing loudly. Too used to it to actually make a fuss about it, though, none of the workers even startled.

“Hi everyone!” exclaimed Ame, running past them to go to the farthest table.

“Hi Ame!” they called back, followed by some usual customers.

Ever since that first time Ame hid in the café, she started coming back, until it became the perfect hideout. All of the workers knew her well by now, and so did most of their clients. And of course, she was a classmate of their dear Isogai, so that _did_ help her reputation.

“So, what kind of trouble did you get into this time around, mm?” mused a brown-haired woman, reaching her table.

“Err… None? Can’t I drop by to see my favorite waitress, Nara-san?” replied the teen, an angelic smile on her face.

“Psh, please,” Nara-san rolled her eyes. “We both know you like Isogai-kun better. He’s in the back right now. I’ll call for him—“

“I FOUND HER!”

“Oh, crap,” paled Ame.

“Nevermind. How about you go find him yourself?” proposed the woman, unperturbed.

“Ah ah, right…”

Ame wasted no time in leaving the table. Jumping over the counter, she then ran into the kitchens. She waved to the cooks as she passed by, and they only chuckled in amusement as she swerved around, avoiding people and ovens swiftly.

“The door’s unlocked, as per usual, Naoki-chan!” called one of chefs. “I knew you’d drop by soon enough!”

“Thanks, Chichi-san! I’ll come by later and pay you back!”

“You do that! Stay safe!”

“No promises!”

The teen finally escaped the kitchens, and the door closed shut behind her. After a moment of silence, the rest of the workers started laughing. It wasn’t the first time Ame had to escape from whatever trouble she had gotten into, and it surely wouldn’t be the last either. Most wouldn’t have accepted such a troublesome customer, but she _did_ bring more clients in thanks to her little stunts. Plus, she actually paid them for letting her use the café as a hideout of some sort, so it’s not like they could really complain. Money was money, right? Plus, well, maybe she _had_ grown on them a little. But who could blame them? Naoki Ame might be a troublemaker, but whoever said she didn’t make things interesting was, simply put, a liar.

* * *

.

.

The following day was a bright, beautiful day. It made Ame kind of regret having resigned herself to not skip classes anymore, or at least not as much as before. What she’d give to be able to go out for a walk and enjoy the day!

_Though I wouldn’t enjoy it all that much, considering I’d have to watch my back constantly._

That _did_ kill her joy somewhat. Ritsu and Usagi still hadn’t been able to take her name off the list, and she held no doubt that other assassins would come after her soon enough. Plus, in the state she was in, she wouldn’t be able to properly fight if the need arose. She still needed a few more days of rest.

The first classes of the day had been boring, but she did her best to pay attention to the lessons. She was still a little bitter about her failure during the exams, and her determination hadn’t wavered in the slightest. Sure, it _had_ been a while since she actually studied and worked for stuff like that, but she was slowly getting back into it.

_And Korosensei’s been giving me extra classes too for a while now…_

Ame still wasn’t an academic genius but, right now, she was fairly confident in her growing abilities. Plus, well, it would be hard to score worst than during the mid-terms, considering she _had_ been dead last.

“Hey, Ame?”

“Mmm?”

The black-haired girl looked up from the Japanese notes she had been reading without really understanding whatever she had written. She’d have to make sure she could actually read whatever she wrote down next time around.

“Don’t you think Korosensei is acting kind of… weird?” pointed out Rio, frowning a little.

“Weird?”

Curious, Ame looked at the front of the class. As per usual, their teacher was behind his desk, correcting some homework… but he was sweating.

Like, a _lot._

“You’re right,” agreed the girl, closing her notebook. “He does look a little weird— _holy crap_! What’s happening?”

The sweating had increased, and some sort of yellow liquid was now flowing out of their teacher’s eyes as he whimpered pitifully and tried to wipe it away with a tissue.

“What’s with all this crying over nothing?” wondered Irina, a tad annoyed by the noise. She had decided to eat with the students that day, but she now regretted her decision. “What is it?”

“No, no—this is my nose,” answered Korosensei. “I’m not crying, my nose is running. My eyes are here!” And he pointed at two exactly identical holes.

“Who can tell!?” protested most of the students.

“I’ve been feeling a little off since yesterday,” he then admitted.

 _Yesterday?_ Ame quickly thought it over. _The only thing that happened yesterday was Terasaka’s outburst. Might this be the work of whatever bug spray he spread in the classroom?_

As if on cue, the door of the classroom slid open, letting enter the boy in question. She narrowed her eyes at him, somewhat suspicious. What was he planning exactly?

Korosensei suddenly pounced on him.

“Terasaka-kun! I was worried you wouldn’t come in today!” exclaimed their teacher, the yellow goo running from his nose splattering all around.

“This is disgusting,” murmured Rio.

Ame nodded but focused on whatever was now happening. Obviously ticked off, Terasaka however somehow managed to keep his cool and wiped off the snot using their teacher’s tie. Once he was done, he glared up at the octopus and rudely pointed at him.

“Oi, monster… It’s time we killed you for real!” he claimed. “Come to the pool after class! After all, water’s your weakness, right?” He then turned to the rest of the classroom. “You all come and help! I’ll knock him smack into the water for you!”

“Terasaka…” Maehara suddenly rose to his feet. “You haven’t helped with anyone else’s assassination attempts and now, when it’s convenient for you, you’re ordering us around? Do you really think anyone’s going to jump at the chance to help you?”

“Tche, like I give a damn anyway,” scoffed the brute. “Hell, I’ll be happy to have the ten-billion-yen prize all to myself.”

On which he left as quickly as he came in. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Yoshida sighed heavily.

“What’s his deal, seriously?”

“I can’t keep up,” agreed Muramatsu.

“Well, I’m not going,” assured Kurahashi.

“Same,” nodded Okano.

“Now, now, let’s all go!” exclaimed cheerfully Korosensei.

“Gah!” exclaimed Rio, jumping to her feet.

“Oh my God!” Ame wasted no time in climbing on her desk.

Because… their teacher’s yellow snot was now overflowing into the classroom—which was _disgusting_. Ame quickly wiped off whatever sticky goo had gotten on her shoes, scrunching her nose as she did so.

“Gah, it’s hardening!” suddenly exclaimed Maehara.

“We’re stuck!” panicked Kaede.

“Terasaka-kun is now ready to assassinate me! This is the perfect chance for everyone to kill and make up!” insisted their teacher, not really caring about the mess he was creating.

At that point, his entire head was covered in that damn liquid. They couldn’t see his eyes or his eternal grin anymore, and Ame felt a little sick when seeing that.

“Fine, we’ll go!” she finally snapped. “Just stop this already! You’re fricking gross!”

As everyone voiced their agreement, their teacher laughed heartily… which only made more snot come out, and which drew everyone’s cries of utter disgust.

* * *

.

.

In the end, they _did_ go to the pool after class to help with Terasaka’s plan. Soon enough, everyone saved for Ame, Takebayashi and the instigator of the assassination attempt were in the water, waiting for whatever would happen next.

“I seriously have my doubts,” mused the bespectacled boy. “I don’t—“

“Just shut up and get in already!” Terasaka merely kicked him into the pool.

The rest of the students started muttering about his tyrannical persona while Takebayashi came back to the surface, spluttering incoherently. Completely ignoring them, Terasaka turned around to look at Ame, apparently entertaining the thought of making her suffer the same fate. Ame stared flatly at him, unimpressed.

“You try that shit with me and you _will_ find yourself a head shorter.”

He scoffed but didn’t approach her, and she simply went to sit under the shade of a tree to watch the show. She still hadn’t figured out whatever Terasaka had planned, but something seriously didn’t feel right. After all, while she was far from being best friends with the boy, she knew him well enough to know that complicated planning wasn’t his kind of thing. Hell, just the bug-spray from yesterday couldn’t possibly have been his idea.

_But if I’m right, then who is he working with?_

Before she could ponder over it any longer, Terasaka was joined by Korosensei, whose nose had finally stopped running—thank God for small miracles.

“So, how are you planning to knock me into the pool?” mused their teacher. He gestured at the gun the boy was holding. “This won’t make me move a step.”

“Whatever. You ready, monster?” grunted the teen, turning around to properly face him.

“Of course,” assured the octopus.

Terasaka pointed his gun at Korosensei. Ame clicked her tongue quietly at that, not really wanting to watch that part of the assassination. Guns always made her jumpy, after all.

“I’ve always hated you,” then admitted Terasaka, traits deformed by his anger. “Wanted more than anything for you to disappear.”

At that, though, the teacher’s face covered itself in green stripes. “Yes, I know. After this assassination, we’ll have a nice, long talk.”

Unable to help it, Ame looked back at the two… and found herself frowning. It had been a while since she last properly looked at a firearm, but the one Terasaka was holding looked weird. Like, it was almost exactly the same as the ones they used to fire anti-sensei balls, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that this one was… fake.

 _This is a distraction,_ she realized. _We obviously can’t hit him with this, even less head-on. What is he planning, damn it!?_

She was thinking fast, trying to come up with different scenarios, but nothing seemed to make sense. If she _at least_ had an idea as to who Terasaka was working with, then maybe she’d be able to see through his plans, but she simply couldn’t understand who would want to work with the brutal idiot.

 _Wait, work with? No, no one wants to work_ with _Terasaka. But what if… What if he’s being used instead? What if someone exterior to the class used him for their own assassination attempt?_

The girl started looking around, warier. If she was right, then an assassin, if not many, were out there and already surrounding them. However, she also knew that Korosensei wouldn’t have knowingly put his students in danger, meaning he couldn’t sense anyone else around.

_Then where? Where is the assassin?_

Terasaka fired at last, a vein bulging on his forehead. Ame flinched instinctively… but instantly noticed the flash of red at the tip of the barrel of the gun.

 _Wrong. BB-balls are pink_. Her eyes then widened. _That was a signal—_

Suddenly, the wall at the other end of the pool suddenly blew up, earning startled cries from the rest of the students. The pool instantly started emptying itself, the current too strong for Ame’s classmates to fight it as they were swept away.

Ame jumped to her feet, horrified. “No!”

She couldn’t jump in, that would have been stupid. Instead, she took out two knives and quickly tied up a wire around the handles, before throwing them across the pool. They deeply embedded themselves into the rocks, allowing the students to grab the wire and stop themselves from being swept away. Korosensei, in a state of panic, started quickly pulling them out of the water. However, most were already too far gone, and their teacher was forced to go after them, leaving Ame, Terasaka and an empty pool behind, along with the four or five students who had managed to grab the girl’s wire earlier.

“N- no… That wasn’t- that wasn’t me…” murmured the rude boy, apparently in shock. “I didn’t—it wasn’t supposed to do that…”

“What did ya _do_!?” exclaimed angrily the girl, stomping up to him. She roughly grabbed him by his collar and shook him a little, somewhat snapping him out of his shock. “Who’re ya workin’ for!?”

“I- Itona was—he was supposed to come… I was supposed to- to push the octopus in the water and Itona would come…” let out the boy. “I- I didn’t—“

“Yes, _ya_ _did_!” she snapped, shaking him harder. “What were ya thinking, workin’ with him and Shiro!?”

“D- don’t blame me! I’m not—I didn’t—“

“ _Yes_! Yes, I blame _ya_!” she retorted, seething. “Ya can’t just go around pointing fingers, damn it! Ya made a fuckin’ huge mistake right now and you’re either gonna own up ta it, or get da hell out of here, ya hear me!?”

“Ame, calm down!” stepped in Rio, one of those Korosensei had managed to pull out. “We need to go and see if everyone’s alright!”

“Fine! Let’s go!”

Releasing him, she _did_ however punch him in the guts. He stumbled back, the air knocked out of his lungs, but she didn’t linger on him any longer and started running in the direction the rest of their classmates had been swept toward. Hopefully, Korosensei had saved them all before they reached the small waterfall—

_Wait. Water is Korosensei’s weakness! Shiro planned on him taking too much water in when saving his students and, since his mucus that usually serves as protection is all gone because of that damn spray, he won’t be able to protect himself!_

It was a genius plan, that much was for certain, and even more so when the assassin involved was Itona, since he had the same abilities as their teacher—which put him at a great advantage. However, putting the lives of her classmates in danger for the realization of the said plan was simply a no-go in her books.

Now, Shiro was on her _personal_ shit list.

* * *

.

.

“Look, over there!”

Ignoring the soreness in her ribs, Ame went to stand at the edge of the waterfall. Everyone had apparently been saved in time but, now, Korosensei was stuck below. Facing Itona while his tentacles were full of water and thus slowed down –plus, Ame didn’t doubt they put something else in the water to make things even more difficult-, Korosensei was obviously having a hard time keeping up with his “brother”. Next to them, watching everything unfold with a relaxed posture, was Shiro—and Ame saw _red_.

“OI!” she called, almost shaking in fury. “SHIRO!”

He either didn’t hear her or completely ignored her. She wasn’t fine with that, though, and so she grabbed a few more of her knives and threw them at him. The first one hit the ground just before his feet, the second one flew just before his eyes, and the third one ripped a part of his clothes before embedding itself into the nearest tree.

This time, he did look up to her.

“Naoki Ame,” he recognized, his voice carried by the wind. “I was hoping you would show up.”

“Yeah? Well I guess we both got our wishes granted,” she grunted. “I’ve got some questions for ya, and ya better answer them!”

He stared at her for a few seconds, before turning back to the ongoing fight. “Itona.”

The boy harshly slapped their teacher away with one of his tentacles. Before Korosensei could get back up, one of the teen’s tentacles… suddenly grabbed Ame’s ankle. Her eyes widened, and she suddenly found herself lifted in the air, the screams of her classmates echoing behind her.

For a few seconds, it felt as if she was flying.

Then, she started falling.

* * *

.

.

Karma had heard the explosion at the pool and had quickly run there to figure out what had just happened. Had they actually managed to finish off Korosensei? He seriously hoped not, else he’d be thoroughly disappointed to have missed it. His churning guts, however, told him otherwise. _Something_ had happened, and it wasn’t a good thing. When he arrived at the pool, though, it was only to find it empty and with none other than Terasaka kneeling on the side, his eyes wide as he muttered under his breath. After understanding the boy had actually served as a pawn to none other than Shiro and Itona, Karma left him to go check up on their classmates.

“OI!” That was Ame’s voice, not that far ahead. “SHIRO!”

_What is she doing? Is she trying to help Korosensei again? What’s her game?_

But just as he arrived at the end of the forest and to the edge of the waterfall where everyone had safely gathered, startled screams escaped from the students. Looking up, his eyes widened when he saw Ame being lifted in the air by one of Itona’s tentacles, before being brought down. He quickly ran to the edge of the cliff, dreading the sight that would greet him… and exhaled in relief when realizing Ame had reached the ground in one piece. Itona had brought her down rather abruptly, but not enough to break something.

The problem, though, was that she was now facing Shiro. _Alone._

“Damn it…” he cursed under his breath.

“What are they going to do to Ame?” asked Okano, pale.

“Do you think he’s getting back at her for what happened in class last time?” wondered Kaede, worried.

“We need to do _something_!” exclaimed Maehara. “Korosensei won’t be able to help her, he’s already occupied with Itona!”

“And Hara is in danger too!” added Kataoka. “Look!”

“Even Yoshida and Muramatsu are in trouble!”

Effectively, Hara wasn’t in an any better position than Ame. Holding on tightly to a branch so as not to fall, said branch was however starting to crack under her weight. If they waited too long, then the branch would break and she’d fall. Just below her, barely managing to hold onto the slippery rocks of the cliff, were the other two boys. They were obviously having a hard time not to slip, and they also wouldn’t last much longer.

“There wasn’t that much water, though!” pointed out Rio. “Why can’t Korosensei save them? Is he really that weak to it?”

“No.” All startled at the sudden appearance of Terasaka. He was staring at the fight with a frown. “It’s not just the water. There was something else in it, to numb his tentacles or some shit like that. Also, he can’t just go up and save them. That’d leave his back open and then not only would he be killed, but he wouldn’t be able to protect them anymore.”

“Terasaka…” Isogai gritted his teeth. “Don’t tell me they roped you into doing this!”

“That’s right!” confirmed the boy, shaking a little. “Shortsighted guys with no vision and no goals are doomed to be played by smart guys like him. But you know…” He pulled on his collar, now serious. “At least lemme pick who’s pullin’ the strings. I’ve had it up to here with those jokers, and I sure don’t like the idea of ‘em walkin’ off with the prize. So, Karma—why don’t you try to control me? Gimme a strategy outta that shrewd noggin of yours! I’ll pull it off perfectly and save all of them!”

“Sure, but can you even handle one of my plans?” mused Karma. “You might die.”

“Oh, I’ll do it, alright. I’m the perpetrator who gets results,” assured the brute.

“Gah, look down!” suddenly exclaimed Kurahashi. “Ame’s in trouble!”

* * *

.

.

Ame winced as Itona unceremoniously dropped her on the ground before going back to his fight with Korosensei. Her ribs were starting to protest against the rough treatment she was putting them through after being expressly told not to push herself.

However, now wasn’t the time for that.

“Shiro,” she greeted flatly, getting back to her feet.

“How rude,” he mused plainly. “Is that how you address all elders?”

“Just those I don’t like.” She then pulled another of her knives and pointed it at him. “Now, I want answers! What do you gain from putting a target on my back?”

“I did no such thing,” he assured, not even bothered by her weapon. “Though I am concerned about the information you seem to possess.”

“I don’t have any info!” she snapped. “It was all just guesswork and a shot in da dark, and ya simply confirmed it! Now take ma name off da Dark List!”

“Oh, don’t worry too much, I will… by bringing your head back.”

“What—“

Something heavy was fired but, before she could react, a wire had already wrapped itself around her, pinning her arms against her body. The blow sent her crash on the ground, near the water and, when she tried to free herself, she realized she couldn’t move without cutting herself. The wires had been made of a special material usually used to cut through things, and she held no doubt that mere flesh wouldn’t be much of a challenge for it.

“I didn’t do anything!” she snapped as Shiro started approaching her. “This is crazy! Are ya really so low ya put ma name on da Dark List just so ya could kill me without gettin’ punished for it? Just ‘cause I pissed ya off a few weeks ago? What da hell is _wrong_ with ya!?”

“I told you, didn’t I?” His foot slammed down on her to keep her still, earning a strangled yelp of pain as her ribs bent under the pressure. “I’m not the one who put your name on it. Too much of a hassle, and so many variables I couldn’t keep control of… No, I’m not the one who started the fire, but I _am_ the one who will put it out.” And suddenly, the barrel of a gun appeared in her line of sight, barely a few centimeters away from her face. “Kill two birds with one stone, if you will.”

“I didn’t do anything—“

“No, maybe not. However, I’m afraid you are too… perceptive, for your own good.” He placed his finger on the trigger. “I’ll make sure whatever information you found out will not be shared, and I get to get rid of an annoying brat that just won’t stop getting in my way. Plus, I get paid for it. Couldn’t ask for more, really.”

She bared her teeth at him. “If ya kill me, there will be no place for ya ta hide! No matter where ya go or what ya do… ya _will_ not rest peacefully ‘til you’re dead! _They will find you!_ ”

“Whoever _they_ are, I shall take my chances.”

He cocked the gun, and Ame knew here and there that she was going to die, and she wouldn’t be able to stop it. However, she had already had a run-in with death not that long ago, and she had made up her mind. Unlike last time, she’d look at death in the eyes with anger instead of fear, no matter how terrified she felt inside.

Her lips twisted into a snarl.

“We’ll meet again in hell, Shiro…” Then, she grinned a madly as she could manage, ignoring her shaking hands. “See ya soon, asshole!”

Just as he pulled the trigger, though, something hit him in the arm. Ame’s eyes widened as the shot he fired at her hit barely a few centimeters to the right of her head. Growling lowly in annoyance, Shiro looked down at his arm, where the white cloth was now turning red thanks to the needle embedded into it.

_That’s one of my needles! But who—_

“If you want to get to her, you’ll have to get through us first!”

Both Ame and Shiro looked up at the top of the waterfall, where the rest of the students were standing. Rio, a hand on her hip, was glaring down at the man, another needle in her hand.

 _That’s right, I taught her how to throw them_ , recalled the teen, exhaling in relief. _Thank god for small miracles._

“Oi!”

That voice was much closer. Twisting her head so as to get a proper look, she saw none other than Terasaka now standing in the water, not that far away.

“Terasaka-kun…” recognized Shiro, mindlessly pulling out the needle from his arm and throwing it aside.

“You tricked me but good!” remarked the boy.

“Maa, don’t get so upset,” replied the asshole clad in white. “We just pulled your classmates into it a little. Perfect for a fellow who stands out in the E-Class like you.”

“A little?” He pointed at Ame, who still couldn’t move because of the wire and Shiro’s foot still crushing her ribcage. “Ya were ‘bout to frickin’ kill her!”

“Yes, well, _she_ is another matter entirely—“

“Shut up! I ain’t gonna forgive you for what you did!” He then took off his shirt and went to face the two battling monsters. “Itona! You and me, one on one!”

“Stop that, Terasaka-kun! He’s not someone you can win against!” warned Korosensei.

“Stay outta this, octopuff!”

“Ah, how cute. A real hero, eh?” But Shiro’s amusement vanished in an instant. “Itona, finish him.”

There was a moment of silence. Then, Itona sent one of his tentacles at the boy and hit him square in the chest, apparently indenting to knock him out with one blow. Terasaka took the hit head-on, wrapping his shirt around the tentacle, and somehow managed to stay on his feet. He then released both his shirt and the tentacle.

“Oh? You held on quite well,” mused Shiro. “Itona, send another one.”

But just as the monster-boy was about to do so… he sneezed.

Once.

Twice.

Suddenly, he just couldn’t stop sneezing, as if he had just caught a cold. Ame’s eyes widened in understanding, and she snapped her eyes back at the cliff, where they met Karma’s. The boy smirked, waving at her a little.

_That fricking genius… Terasaka’s wearing the same shirt as yesterday, so it got directly hit by that weird spray, which means he could use it against Itona!_

Itona’s tentacle on which was still hanging Terasaka’s shirt was now covered in mucus that kept on coming out. Using the opportunity, Korosensei vanished for a few seconds to go and save Hara before the branch finally gave in.

“Yoshida! Muramatsu!” exclaimed Terasaka, holding his sore stomach. He grinned, hitting the water. “Give me a big one!”

The two boys grinned back in understanding, before jumping off the side of the cliff and landing into the water, effectively splashing water everywhere. A moment later, all of the students had jumped too, landing in the water and effectively drenching Itona from head to toe. His tentacles instantly started absorbing it. Shiro’s foot lifted somewhat, and Ame immediately used the opportunity to shove him off of her. She still couldn’t use her arms properly, but she managed to roll away and take a hold of the bloody needle that had fallen to the ground. Not wasting any time, she planted it into his foot, earning herself a pained curse as he stumbled away.

“That’s quite enough from you!” he snapped.

He cocked his gun at her once again but, before he could fire for the second time, he was suddenly shoved to the ground by none other than Maehara. Isogai appeared not a second later and went to Ame’s side, quickly helping her back on her feet. He was holding one of her knives and, in a few seconds, he managed to cut through the wire, thus freeing her.

“You alright, Ame?” inquired Maehara, quickly coming back to them and holding Shiro’s gun.

“Yeah, I’m fine now—ugh!” She stumbled a little when pain flared in her ribs. “Damn it…”

Shiro slowly rose back to his feet while Isogai put the girl’s arm around his neck so as to properly support her. Maehara glared at the man, cracking his knuckles. Behind them, in the water, Itona was still frozen in shock, his tentacles growing more and more useless each passing second. The rest of the students were ready to act, and Korosensei was also ready to go all-out if needed.

For a few seconds, everyone stood still, not moving.

“Well, now what?” All eyes snapped to Karma, who smirked a little. “We don’t want you to claim the prize money, for one. Your plans also almost got all of us hurt in the process, Terasaka got all beaten up, and you even tried to openly kill Ame. If you want to keep going, we’re going to need to have a hardcore splash party.”

Itona stiffened, only then realizing he was surrounded.

“… well. You got us. We withdraw,” announced finally Shiro, dusting himself a little. “Let’s go, Itona.”

“Well? Wasn’t that a fun time with everyone?” then exclaimed Korosensei. He was talking to Itona. “Why not join us—for real, this time?”

“ _Itona_.”

The boy tensed at Shiro’s commanding tone, before jumping out of the water and landed next to his master. The two of them walked passed Ame, Isogai, and Maehara without even another look, and the orange-eyed teen gritted her teeth.

“Wait!” she then barked, making them stop. “You said… You said you’re not the one who put my name on the list. If not you, then _who_? Who did it?”

“… I do not know. I merely took the opportunity when it presented itself. I’d suggest you watch your back carefully, Naoki-san,” mused Shiro. He started walking away again. “Someone extremely powerful seems to be controlling the strings, and you surely won’t be as lucky next time around.”

After what, he and Itona disappeared from sight. After a few more seconds of tension, seeing they truly weren’t coming back, the rest of the students finally relaxed.

“Thank God we managed to drive them off,” sighed Sugino, relieved.

“It’s a good thing we managed to save your life, right, Korosensei?” mused Okano.

“Niryufufufu! I’m grateful, of course!” agreed their teacher. “Though I still had a few more tricks up my sleeve.”

Suddenly, a little farther away, Terasaka dragged Karma down from his dry spot and threw him in the water. Instantly, the rest of the students joined in, trying to soak the red-haired boy as much as manageable. Ame chuckled a little at the sight, though her smile quickly twisted in a pained wince when her ribs cried in agony.

“Are you alright, Ame-san?” worried Isogai.

“Would you believe me if I said _yes_?” she half-joked.

“Come on, sit down for a bit,” proposed Maehara.

She nodded, and the two boys helped her back on the ground. She knew the pain would be gone by the next morning since Shiro hadn’t actually broken anything, but she seriously hoped no other problem would come up until she could at least put up a decent fight.

“Still, this was kind of weird,” then remarked the flirt, crossing his arms behind his head. “Why would he target you specifically? I get that you kind of pissed him off last time, but…”

The girl cringed a little at that. Obviously, the whole situation would look weird to her classmates. Why wouldn’t it? Someone had just tried to _kill_ her, after all. However, what could she answer to that? Could she actually tell them everything?

_If I had done so before, though, would all of this have happened?_

Sometimes, ignorance was bliss. Other times, though, it was more of a nuisance than anything else.

They could be put in grave danger because of her, and… they at least deserved to know the truth.

“Korosensei?” she called softly.

The teacher heard her easily over the chaos and appeared beside her in a flash.

“Yes, Naoki-san?”

“I’m ready. To tell everyone, I mean.”

He simply nodded at that, his eternal smile growing a little bigger.

“All right, class!” exclaimed the octopus. “Let’s all head back to the classroom, if you don’t mind. Naoki-san wishes to shed some light on today’s events.”

At that, the students exchanged some curious looks, but finally decided to go along with it. Who knew? Maybe Ame was finally starting to trust them.

* * *

.

.

Everyone had changed back into their uniform and had gathered in the classroom. Karasuma and Irina were also present, having been made aware of the situation.

Finally, it was time for Ame to spill.

“I’m guessing you guys all remember how I interfered with Shiro and Itona’s first assassination attempt, right?” she started off dryly. They all nodded, curious as to where she was going with that. “Well, turns out that, as Rio and Karasuma-san feared, I had to suffer the consequences. Not a day later, we discovered that… my name was on the Dark List.”

“… what’s the Dark List?” asked Kurahashi, confused.

“The Japanese Government’s special hit list,” resumed the girl. “Otherwise said, I’m now as much a target for assassins as Korosensei.”

…

…

…

“WHAT!?”

“We haven’t been able to take my name off of it yet,” pursued the girl, unperturbed. “Ritsu’s been working hard, but even she can’t do much about it.”

“… today wasn’t the first attempt on your life, was it?” then realized Karma, frowning.

“No, it wasn’t,” confirmed the teen, twisting her hands a little. “At first, we thought it was Shiro who put my name on the list. Today, though, he told me it wasn’t him and… well, against all common sense, I believe him.”

“Why tell us now, though? It’s been weeks since this happened, so why today?” pointed out Maehara.

“Because I realized things could have gone way differently had I told you everything earlier,” she replied, lowering her head. “Terasaka might be dumb and an awful brute—“

“Oi!”

“—but he’s not completely clueless either. He wouldn’t have trusted Shiro if he had known what was going on. And- and you guys might all be in danger because of me, now.” She bit her lower lip. “Had I told you sooner… then you would have been able to help me. I thought I could do this on my own, but I was wrong, and I’m sorry. I should… I should have trusted you.”

After a few seconds, Rio suddenly walked up to her, and lightly tapped her head. Ame blinked in surprise, looking up to her.

The blonde grinned. “You really are the worst trouble-magnet I’ve ever met, you know?”

“I—“

“You’re the only one who could manage to piss off someone powerful enough to pull that kind of stunt against you, seriously,” snorted Karma.

“I guess that explains a lot,” simply mused Maehara.

“We’ll help!” assured Fuwa, beaming. “However we can!”

“Don’t worry! You can count on us!” added Kaede, pumping her fist in the air.

As the rest of the students started agreeing, Ame felt tears prickling her eyes. She instantly rubbed them, hoping no one would notice. She honestly hadn’t expected such a positive reaction. Normal people wouldn’t want to get involved into that kind of mess, after all.

 _But, then again, they’re not normal people,_ she mused, a smile slowly stretching her lips. _None of us are, really._

_We’re the E-Class, after all._


	16. Sixteenth Period: Finals Time

“Niryufufufu! Everyone, you got the basics down cold in the first semester. At this rate, I expect your finals scores to shoot right up!” exclaimed their teacher.

Ame was barely paying him attention, too focused on the math problem in her hands. Determined, she was working through every variable with a rarely shown passion, knowing she could do it, now. She had ended up dead last the first time but, for the finals, she’d aim much higher. She knew trying to get in the top fifty still was too large a stretch, but she could _at least_ score in the first hundred, right?

“Korosensei, do you want us all to make it to the top fifty this time, too?” wondered Nagisa.

“No—I was too focused on your total scores for midterms,” replied the octopus. “I’ve come to believe that each student should have a goal better suited to him or her. And, that’s why I’ve come up with the perfect target for our assassination classroom!”

All at once, all of his afterimages vanished, leaving the real Korosensei standing still in the middle of the clearing the students were studying in.

“Now, as Shiro-san stated two weeks ago, when I lose a tentacle, I also lose speed.” Without hesitation, he shot his own tentacle, which fell on the ground. “As you can see, one fewer tentacle and the difference is already there.” He started moving again, but his afterimages where somewhat blurrier. “See? I can’t keep up the quality of my clones, and now there are a few child clones in the mix! Lose one more—“ He shot yet another tentacle. “—and you get more child clones with the parent clones fretting to make ends meets!”

“This is getting a little weird,” mumbled Rio, making Ame snort.

“Lose yet another—“ He shot a third tentacle. “—and now the father clone has vanished, leaving the mother clone to raise the children on her own!”

“This is ridiculous!” finally snapped Ame, hoping to get back to work soon enough. “Where are you going with this?”

“Each tentacle lost is a ten percent reduction in my movements,” resumed Korosensei. “So, here’s the deal: the students who get the best overall score and/or the best score in each subject will each have the right to destroy one tentacle.”

 _That_ got Ame’s attention. She snapped her eyes to her teacher, surprised. She knew he wouldn’t say that sort of thing just for the hell of it, which meant…

_He’s serious? He’s really gonna go through with it?_

“This is the final exam for our assassination classroom!” he claimed. “Can you get any closer to that billion-yen prize? That, students, is up to you.”

Unable to help it, a small smile stretched Ame’s lips. Now that her injuries were all healed, she could train and participate in assassination attempts again. And, with what their teacher was offering now…

 _I’m back in shape and he’s leaving an extremely big opening. He really knows how to motivate us, doesn't he? But… I don’t think he’s actually ready to face us with such a handicap._ Her smile twisted into a smirk. _Korosensei won’t know what hits him._

* * *

“One tentacle for each top score…”

“Yeah! We can do this!” assured Okuda, smiling a little.

“Ooh? Since when are you this motivated, Okuda-san?” mused Karma.

“Well, since science is my one strong suit, I might finally be able to help everyone out!” replied cheerfully the purple-haired girl.

“We have our share of fair-scoring students, here,” pointed out Kaede. “Acing one subject each isn’t that far-fetched!”

“Korosensei’s been careful to cover everything we’d need,” added Ame, leaning back into her seat. “And Karasuma-sensei and Bitch-sensei went to see the Principal in person to make sure he wouldn’t resort to barely-legal petty tricks this time around. We’ll be fine!”

At that same moment, Sugino’s phone started ringing. Surprised, the boy picked up.

“Shindo?” he greeted. “What’s up? I haven’t seen you since the tournament.”

 **“Yes—a hell of a game,”** recalled his friendly rival. **“I said I’d get you back in high school, but now I’m worried you won’t make it there, to be frank.”**

“Ah! Still as condescending as ever, uh?” chuckled the baseball player.

 **“Yeah, well… Anyway, listen to this: right now, the entire accelerated A-Class is in a conference room for an independent study session,”** informed Shindo. **“Their leaders are the pride of Kunugigaoka, geniuses known as the Big Five.”**

“Wow. How creative,” mumbled Ame.

Rio elbowed her with a shushing sound, wanting to listen.

**“Coming in at second place in midterms! The socially aware mass-media hopeful who crushes the competition: Media Club president Araki Teppei! And in third place: dominator of competition in the humanities, the perspicacious poet and student council secretary, Sakakibara Ren!”**

_Sakakibara Ren_? Mused internally the orange-haired teen. _Isn’t that the annoying flirt?_

**“In fifth place: the memorization monster burning with a grudge against Akabane, Biology Club president Koyama Natsuhiko! And in sixth place: the man whose sharp tongue and English abilities are light-years beyond the rest thanks to him living in LA for a few years, the student council meeting leader Tomoya Seo!”**

“… Is that you doing the introductions?” dared to ask Sugino.

**“Ah—err, well, I’ve always wanted to try my hand at announcing, so… Anyway! Reigning over all these, from the very top! In the first place, coming in first at the national mock exams and with perfect scores in all subjects, the man with leadership in his genes: student council president Asano Gakushu! Otherwise said… the Principal’s only son.”**

“Oh,” blinked Ame, easily remembering him. “ _That_ pain in the ass.”

**“They’ve all got high hopes and top scores. The combined charisma of the proud A-Class go-getters along with their leadership qualities… Asano with perfect scores in every subject and the others with their specialization make up the Big Five. They’re looking to keep you from returning to the main campus. If this keeps up…”**

“Thank you, Shindo,” nodded Sugino, grateful. “But it’s all right. Right now, our goal isn’t to get out of the E-Class. Though still, to meet the goal we do have, we will need to beat the A-Class on points. Watch us, okay? We’ll put up a real fight!”

**“Knock yourself out, then. The E-Class’s fight isn’t my problem. Ja’.”**

On which the boy hung up. The rest of the students, who had ended up listening in on the conversation, started talking animatedly about the competition. It would seem the Big Five would be the greatest obstacle they’d have to overcome, but all of them were pretty confident they could manage if they gave it their all.

 _Though if I remember correctly, that Gakushu guy is pretty tricky_. Ame started gathering her things since class was over _. We’ll have to watch out for him._

* * *

.

.

Ame was now studying in the café, in her usual place. She knew to stay out in the open like that wasn’t the smartest move for someone with a target on their back, but she couldn’t help it. She liked the café, and she didn’t want to stop living just because it was a tad bit risky. She was a member of the Zodiac still—she could handle herself.

“Ame-san?”

She lifted her eyes and offered a small smile to Isogai. “Hey. I thought you didn’t have a shift tonight?”

“Ah, I’m actually replacing someone,” answered the boy with a chuckle. “Though, what are you doing here? Isn’t it… you know, dangerous?”

“Pff, my middle name is danger,” she scoffed, waving her hand. “It’s always been a part of my life, so it’s nothing I can’t handle. Plus, I can’t just run and hide for the rest of my life either, you know?”

“I guess so…” He stared at her for a few seconds. “You’re taking this pretty well, aren’t you?”

“I’m trying. To be honest, I’m pretty freaked out,” she admitted, leaning back in her seat. “But I have many friends watching my back, including our teachers and… well, you and everyone else, too. So, while it’s far from being a fun situation, I know I don’t have to deal with it on my own, so I guess it’s kind of reassuring.”

“I see,” he nodded in understanding. He then seemed to remember something. “Ame-san? I was actually wondering if you were doing anything tomorrow, after school?”

“Other than trying not to get killed by random assassins?” she replied in a dry tone. He offered a sheepish smile at that, and she could only laugh. “Nan, I’ve got nothing. Why? Need my help or something?”

“Or something. You see, I reserved a place in the main campus's library so that we could study for the finals,” he explained. “I was wondering if you wanted to join us?”

She blinked a few times, truly taken aback by the invitation. When was the last time she went to hang out with other people? She rarely went out with Rio, since she was always busy with missions, and she had never had many friends, to begin with… Of course, it was to study, but it was still the first time someone actually invited her to tag along for such an activity.

“… I’d like that.” She smiled once again, though it was much more genuine this time around. “Thanks, Isogai-kun.”

“Y- you’re welcome!” He was apparently startled by the honorific, but he didn’t linger on it. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then. I have to get back to work, so…”

“Sure thing. I should probably go too, else my escort will grow agitated,” chuckled the girl, quickly gathering her books. She then slung her back on her shoulder. “Have a nice evening, Isogai-kun.”

“You too!”

The girl waved, before heading out, though she didn’t forget to say goodbye to the rest of the workers. She was a regular now, after all, and everyone enjoyed the energy she brought into the café whenever she ran in with trouble hot on her heels.

* * *

“So… who’s the cute kid?”

“Uma, _no_.”

* * *

.

.

The following day came and went in a flash. Frankly, Ame was looking forward to the studying time, for once. Not only would they be able to enjoy the fresh air of the library, but she would also be able to escape the annoying routine of overbearing protection that was starting to take place. So, when the bell announcing the end of the day finally rang, needless to say that she was the first one outside, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the others.

Rio laughed when seeing her. “I think it’s the first time I see you genuinely happy about studying, of all things!”

“Yeah, well, whatever helps me get out, you know?” shrugged the black-haired teen. “Because of… well, the whole target situation, I can barely go out without someone watching me. Frankly, it’s starting to get on my nerves.”

“Knowing you, it isn’t hard to believe,” chuckled the blonde. “You’ve always been pretty carefree after all, so to be forced to follow the rules like that… Well, you know I’m always happy to help if you need anything, right?”

“Unless it’s three in the morning. Then, you’ll curse at me in English, then try to throw your pillow at me before remembering we’re on the phone and it doesn’t work that way—“

_“That was one time!”_

Unable to help it, Ame started laughing. Rio really was one of a kind, and she was glad to be able to count her as her friend.

* * *

.

.

The little group was composed of Isogai, Nagisa, Kaede, Rio, Kanzaki, Okuda and Ame. They had found their spot in the library, and had been studying for almost half-an-hour now—

“Well, if it isn’t the E-Class crew!”

At the new voice, all the assassins-in-training lifted their heads. Ame groaned a little when recognizing the four students as the ones from that Big Five little squad. There was the ugly one with the glasses, the arrogant one, the plain-looking guy and the damn flirt. Thankfully, the Principal’s son wasn’t amongst them, so she counted that as a small blessing.

“Can we help you with something?” kindly asked Kanzaki.

“Help? I seriously doubt it,” Araki snorted derisively. “No, I was merely thinking that the library truly is wasted on the likes of you. Pearls before swine, am I right?”

Ame rolled her eyes a little, deciding not to bother with an answer. She wanted to focus on her studies while she still could—she’d pick a fight later.

“Move it, scrubs. Those are our seats. Get lost!” suddenly barked Tomoya.

“These seats are ours,” instantly protested Isogai. “We reserved them!”

“Yeah, and being able to study in air conditioning like this is simply heavenly!” added Rio.

“Have you forgotten?” sneered Koyama, spit flying around as he talked. “The bad-grad E-Class can’t defy the A-Class—not at this school.”

“We- we can too!” Okuda assured as firmly as she could.

“Aa?”

“We- we’re aiming for the top final scores in every subject!” she announced proudly. “Let’s see you try to boss us around then!”

“Woo, go Okuda,” cheered Ame, weakly pumping her fist in the air. She wasn’t paying much attention to what was happening, to be frank. “You tell them, girl.”

“D- don’t you talk back to me, you cheeky bitch!” snapped Koyama, his sneer widening. “And those glasses make you look like a hick!”

_Ignore them, just ignore them and focus on what’s happening—_

“In all your criticism, you’ve overlooked something.” Ame stiffened. When had Sakakibara snuck up behind her and Kanzaki? “See? Here we have pearls _among_ the swine.”

Unable to hold it in any longer, Ame snapped her book shut, drawing everyone’s attention. Clicking her tongue, she shoved the flirt’s hand off her shoulder, before standing up, her chair scraping loudly on the floor.

“All right, I’ve got enough of this,” she informed, her eye twitching somewhat. “We reserved those spots in the library, meaning they are ours until it closes. So, you either make yourself scarce right now or I’ll escort you out myself, got it?”

“What kind of tone is that, girl?” grunted Tomoya, walking up to her. “You sure talk big for someone who ended up _dead last_ at the midterms.”

There was a moment of silence as both gauged each other.

Then, a smirk appeared on her lips.

 _“Yes, I_ did _end up dead last, didn’t I?”_ she mused in English, making the A-Class students stiffen somewhat. _“I must admit, it wasn’t exactly what I was planning on. However, you must understand something very important: the only reason I didn’t get a better grade… is because I wasn’t really trying._ ” She then switched back to Japanese with a feral smile. “I’m fluent in English and, if I remember correctly, my score in that particular exam was higher than yours. But now? Now, I’ve _actually_ decided to put some effort into it. My friends and I are particularly… motivated, you see. We have a goal, and we _will_ reach it. No one, not even you, will be able to stand in our way. Understood?”

He gaped at her, obviously not having expected that. Satisfied, the girl sat back down and picked up her book, intending to go back to studying at once. Koyama was now looking at the group with a calculating eye, though.

_Kanzaki Yukiko, ranked 23rd in Japanese; Nakamura Rio, ranked 11th in English; Isogai Yuma, ranked 14th in social studies; Okuda Manami, ranked 17th in Science; Naoki Ame, ranked second in English. Had it not been for Gakushu’s fairer knowledge of the grammar rules, she would have been first._

“I get it!” he finally let out, snickering a little. “So you’re not entirely without academic skill—in one subject, anyway.”

“Then, how about this?” then said Araki, walking up to the table. “Whichever of our two classes snags the most top spots overall five subjects gets to make the loser do anything they want. How about that?”

Ame narrowed her eyes at him, before glancing around them. The rest of the students in the library were watching and listening, waiting for what would happen next. Whatever they decided to do next, they wouldn’t be able to get out of it, and Araki knew that well.

_Clever, I guess. His arrogance will be his downfall, though._

“What’s wrong? Chicken? You’re all bark and no bite!” taunted Tomoya, leaning on Ame. “We’re perfectly willing to put our lives on the line, you know.”

The students of the E-Class stiffened at those words, their eyes narrowing. Then, too fast for anyone else to realize what was happening, they all _reacted_. Kanzaki placed her sharp pencil before Sakakibara’s eye, almost stabbing it. Rio had jumped to her feet and placed her finger under Koyama’s chin, near his neck, like the barrel of a gun. Isogai had done the same to Araki, not even moving out of his seat. Finally, Ame had pulled out one of the needles in her hair and placed it against Tomoya’s temple, the sharp end close enough to prick the skin, but not enough to pierce through and draw blood.

There was a moment of stillness as none dared to move, still under shock.

“You know, you shouldn’t be so quick to put your lives on the line,” then mused calmly Nagisa. “Or to bet on them.”

“Though why not?” then mused Ame, pulling her weapon away and slipping it back in her bun. “I say go for it. You want to challenge the E-Class? Fine, let’s do this. We accept the deal!”

“All- all right, then we’ve got a deal!” snapped Tomoya, quickly backing away.

“We’ll make you do something worse than death!” warned Koyama.

“You can’t run!” added Sakakibara.

“You’ll regret this!” concluded Araki.

And then the four of them bravely bolted out of the library, not daring to look back. The E-Class students stared at the now closed doors for a few seconds, torn between amusement and disbelief. Then, Rio walked back to the table and leaned over it, slapping Ame behind the head.

“Ow!” The orange-eyed girl turned to her. “What was _that_ for?”

“Why’d you have to go and accept!?”

“Because we’re gonna wipe the floor with them, obviously,” snorted the teen, unapologetic. “And they would have taken our reactions as an agreement anyway, so I haven’t really done anything other than making it official.”

“I guess…” She then folded her arms over her chest. “But you’re the one who’s telling the whole class tomorrow.”

“… fair enough.”

* * *

.

,

They passed the following week studying even more, if possible. The bet had gone around the campus in less time than it took to say it, so there was no backing down, but none of the class actually minded. After all, it was a great opportunity.

“We can ask them anything we want, right?” sighed happily Kurahashi. “I’d like them to let use the cafeteria!”

“Or maybe ask them to install air conditioning in our class!” proposed Rio.

“To install a bathroom inside instead of out into the woods!” exclaimed Yoshida.

As the rest of the class started chiming in, Korosensei chuckled.

“I have an idea about that,” he then announced. He appeared before the class. “What if we make them hand this over?”

Ame raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “The school pamphlet?”

“You’ve already been at the bottom of the heap,” replied the octopus. “That’s why I’d like you to experience a lively battle for the top. An assassin must aim for the top—and take it down.”

“… I still don’t get it.”

The rest of the students apparently did, though, if their startled faces and their gaping mouths were anything to go by.

“How can you _not_ know what he’s talking about, Ame?” protested Rio.

“I just _don’t_ , so what’s going on exactly?” huffed the orange-eyed teen.

“Each year, the A-Class goes on a very expensive trip after the finals, during the summer break,” answered Isogai, taking pity on her. “I believe that what Korosensei is suggesting is that we ask for the trip as our favor.”

“Ooh, I see. Eh, I didn’t even know there was something like that here,” mused Ame.

“And this is your third year in Kunugigaoka?” sweatdropped Maehara. “How is that even possible?”

She simply shrugged. She had been more busy keeping up with the Zodiac than paying attention to measly school trips. However, said trip could actually become a great opportunity in their current situation. After all, a new environment meant a whole new variety of plans they could use in their assassination schemes.

_Who knows? Maybe this bet will actually be of some use after all._

* * *

.

.

It was finally the day of the finals. For once, Ame actually looked forward to it. She honestly had never felt so prepared for exams before, and… well, it didn’t feel all that bad. For once, she felt like she had the necessary tools to achieve her goal.

“So, you ready for this?” mused Rio.

“Of course,” scoffed Ame, crossing her arms behind her head. “Now that I actually bothered to learn the grammar rules, this English exam will be a breeze.”

“Think you can beat that guy from A-Class?” mused the blonde.

“Of course I can,” chuckled the teen. “The guy might be brilliant, but there’s simply no way he can have studied everything to perfection. Ace of all trades, master of none, right?”

“So you doubt my abilities?”

Both girls stiffened at the new voice, stopping in their tracks. Turning around, they found none other than Asano Gakushu walking up to them, a bland smirk on his lips. Behind him was Tomoya, who was openly glaring at the black-haired girl.

“Oh, Asano junior,” she greeted, her own smirk growing. “I meant no offense by it. I’m merely confident in my own abilities, is all.”

“Maybe too much, wouldn’t you say?” he retorted, stopping before her. “You _did_ end up in the End Class for a reason.”

“More because of my lack of interest than anything else,” shrugged Ame, unperturbed by the barely veiled insult. _“But I can assure you, my English skills are on point.”_

 _“Ooh? Then how about a bet of our own, Naoki-san?”_ he then proposed without missing a beat.

She narrowed her eyes a little. What was he planning now? He was obviously convinced the A-Class would win the first one, so what was he trying to do when betting with her? She seriously doubted it was mere curiosity or boredom. No, Asano Gakushu definitely had a plan… and she decided to play along.

“Sure,” she agreed, switching back to Japanese so that the others could witness the deal. “How about this? Whoever scores higher than the other in English is owed one personal favor. Let’s keep it fair and simple, right?”

“Of course. Tomoya and Nakamura-san can both bear witness to this agreement, right?” he agreed, extending his hand to her. “Let’s call it a deal, then.”

She grabbed his hand and shook it firmly. The boy then let go, taking a step back.

“Then I shall wish you good luck,” he concluded. “You’ll surely need it.”

“The feeling is reciprocated,” she simply replied.

On which the Principal’s son walked away, his ever-so-loyal servant dutifully following behind him. After a few seconds, Rio whacked Ame’s arm.

“Ow! Stop hurting me already!”

“Why’d you have to go and make _another_ bet?” protested the blonde. “Do you have a death wish or something?”

“So you don’t believe I can win?” mused the orange-eyed teen.

“I’m saying that now, he has even more of a motivation to win,” pointed out her friend.

“Yeah? Well, so do I. So, let’s get going and kick their asses, should we?”

Rio stared at her for a moment, before letting out a disbelief chuckle and nodding. “Fine. You do you, I guess. Though if you get stuck in a mess because of this, don’t come begging for my help, got it?”

“Aye, aye. Now move it, else we’re gonna be late!”

* * *

Everyone was taking the exams separately. However, Ame wasn’t worried. She knew all of her friends were in the same boat and, even in different classrooms, they were all still held together thanks to the bonds they shared as fellow assassins. The midterms had been a harsh wake-up call for the teen, but that was why she was as prepared today.

Ame rarely made the same mistake twice, after all.

_Getting first place in English not only means pushing the class one step forward in our bet against the A-Class, but it also means me winning my own bet with Gakushu. I will not lose!_

* * *

The girl didn’t even see the time pass. Focused as she had rarely been in school, she was moving from one problem to the other without any difficulties. Reading had never been a problem for her, since Uma always made her read entire English books to make sure she’d learn the right way, and the only reason she hadn’t made it first the last time around was that she didn’t bother with learning actual grammar rules. She always merely acted on instinct, which was all well and good in everyday life, but less so in an exam.

Now, though, she was ready.

_Here’s the final question!_

She quickly read it over, before looking at her options. Soon enough, she spotted the right one.

_ “Honestly, I wanted to give that cook a hundred slaps in the face.” _

That was the answer, she knew it. She had easily noticed how the questions were much, much harder than the ones from the midterms, but not in a complicated sense. It was more due to the fact that the questions took root in famous literary works and the students were thus expected to answer in the same colloquial style as the source text.

Thanks to Uma’s persistence and Korosensei’s reading suggestions, though, she was more than ready when it came to that kind of tests.

 _I’m done!_ Exhaling deeply, Ame quickly re-read her answers to check. That was not something she usually did but, this time, she couldn’t afford a single mistake. _Everything seems good… What time is it anyway?_

Curious, she looked up at the clock, and couldn’t stop a small grin from stretching her face. She finally allowed herself to relax somewhat as she put down her pen.

_I finished in a little over forty minutes or, otherwise said, with more or less another forty minutes to spare. Am I badass or what?_

“Oi, Naoki!” barked the teacher at the front of the class. “Get back to work! Do you think you have the time to mess around?”

“I’m actually done, sensei,” drawled the teen, getting up. She grabbed her papers and slowly walked up to him, before handing it over. “There you go.”

“Tche. Overconfident, aren’t you?” scoffed the man, however taking it.

Despite the ticking clock, many students stopped what they were doing to look up and watch what was happening. The grand majority were expecting the girl to fail on the spot, but Rio and the few others from the E-Class that were present knew better than that.

::

_“How about that, Ame-chan?”_

_Ame leaned over Kurahashi’s desk, reading the few lines the girl had written._

_“It’s good!” then smiled the teen, making the orange-haired girl exhale in relief. “Though you should be careful with word-written numbers. I know it can be easy to forget, but it goes ‘first, second, third’ and then you can add ‘th’ at the end, like fourth, fifth, sixth, etc.”_

_“Ooh, right!” Chuckling a little, Kurahashi erased her mistake and quickly corrected it. “Like that?”_

_“Exactly! Other than that, you’re doing great. Just don’t forget to insert a quotation too, alright?”_

_“Right! Thanks, Ame-chan!”_

_“Any time.”_

::

Ame had been helping many people in the E-Class when it came to English. Not only did it help her classmates, it also allowed her to review all of what she was learning herself. It was a good way to study and make sure she remembered the basics too. So no, none in the E-Class was really worried about her.

Ame stared at her teacher while he quickly read over her exam. If, at first, he had been ready to dismiss her with a sneer, he was now slowly losing his cool. Because, from what he could see… Naoki Ame probably had a _perfect_ _score_.

“So, mind if I get going, sensei?” mused the black-haired girl. “I do have other exams for which I could use some last-minute studying.”

“R- right…” Because what more could he say, really?

A smug grin stretched her lips at that. She went back to her desk to quickly grab her things, before heading out without another look for the defeated teacher. The poor sap was surely going to hear from the Principal if the E-Class girl scored first place, after all. Ame didn’t really care, though. They had tried to challenge her, and she had simply answered in kind.

_Now, I think I have Science coming up next…_

* * *

.

.

“So… how’d it go?”

“Ugh…”

The two days of finals were finally over and done with… and Ame was utterly _exhausted_. She had never actually worked so hard for something like that before and, at the moment, the only thing keeping her awake was the stress. As soon as she handed over her last exam, anxiety had settled in—yet another thing she had never felt so intensely before. She knew she had aced English and social studies, she believed she had done fairly well in Japanese and even Science, and she was fairly convinced she at least hadn’t failed Math like last time.

It didn’t stop her from worrying, though.

“Come on, Ame, I’m sure it’s not _that_ bad,” snorted Usagi, quickly typing on his computer.

“You can’t know that…” moaned miserably the teen. “I probably got overconfident and messed everything up! What if I failed again? What if I end up dead-last again!?”

“I could hack into the school’s scores records and change your grades,” he suggested.

“No,” she protested, pouting a little. “I don’t want to cheat either. If I win, it’ll be thanks to my own efforts!”

At that, Isana, who was sitting next to her, patted her head. “It’s cute to see you so motivated, Ame. You shouldn’t worry so much, though. I’m sure you did fine.”

“I guess…”

“Come on!” The white-haired woman suddenly jumped on her feet, startling the girl. “Since you’re obviously going to wallow in your misery if you stay here, let’s go out and have a girl night out!”

“But—“

“Ame, the results won’t be out ‘til tomorrow,” pointed out Usagi, finally looking up from his work. “And frankly, your pity-party is getting annoying. If you want so badly to be miserable, then _at least_ have a good reason to be.”

“Does having random assassins trying to kill me for money because of an unfair situation counts?” drawled the girl.

“No.”

The teen rolled her eyes at that but decided not to insist any longer. And, in a way, Isana was right. It had been a long while since they hung out together, and she could do nothing more about the finals.

“All right, fine,” she finally agreed. “Though, where do you want to go?”

“How about the mall? I—“

“Did I just hear you were going to the mall?” Uma suddenly exclaimed, literally appearing out of nowhere. He walked in with a grin. “Are we going to find some outfits for Ame-chan?”

“Haven’t you heard the rest of the conversation?” sighed Karasu, coming in after him. “It’s a girls night out, which means you are not invited.”

“But—“

“Plus, we have work to do,” added his partner. “So stop trying to find a way out and come help me with our job already.”

“Aw, you’re no fun,” pouted Uma.

“And you’re a useless idiot, yet do you see me complaining?”

At that, Ame grinned cheekily. “About Uma’s stupidity? All the time, actually.”

Karasu walked up to her and, without warning, harshly poked her forehead.

“Ow!”

“I have him as my partner. I think I have a right to complain,” he deadpanned, jabbing his thumb at Uma.

The girl looked back at the flirt, only to find him making weird faces at Isana while the woman laughed.

“Fair enough,” she admitted. “What are you guys doing anyway?”

“Trying to find the right gang to infiltrate,” he sighed. “The drug sample you got put us on the right lead, but it seems to have spread to most of the gangs in the area, so it’s getting harder to find the source.”

“I see. If you need any help breaking into somewhere, you know who to ask, though,” she proposed with a small smile.

At that, he smiled back. “We know. We’ll call if we need anything. In the meantime, though, you should go out and enjoy yourself a little. We all know you’ve been a little stressed out with the incoming exams, after all.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” snorted Usagi, returning to his work. “Can’t all of you just get lost already? It’s not that I hate you guys, but I’m kind of trying to stop Buru from making an entire building _explode_ right now, so…”

“Right, right, we’re going,” chuckled Isana. “Come on, Ame.”

“Aa. I’ll see you guys later, then— _gah_!”

“I’ll drop by later and hug you to my heart’s content, promise!” exclaimed Uma, twirling her around in his arms.

“P- please d- don’t feel o- obligated…!” she choked out.

He released her at last and she stumbled back toward Isana, somewhat dizzy. Uma blew her a kiss before walking away, an exasperated Karasu just behind him.

The spy grinned. “So, ready to go?”

Ame could only grin back.

* * *

.

.

“Well, class…” Korosensei dropped a stack of files onto his desk. “Your scores in all subjects have arrived.”

All of the students tensed a little. Fuwa took out a paper, ready to mark down the scores and to see who, between the A-Class and the E-Class, had won the bet. Ame clenched her fists, her heart beating a little faster. It wasn’t the same kind of adrenaline she felt whenever she was on a mission, and she honestly didn’t know if she liked it or not.

_Come on, just tell us already!_

“Here goes. Starting with English…” He pulled out a paper from the first file. “First in the E-Class and first in the grade... Nakamura Rio AND Naoki-san!”

There was a moment of silence.

“Wait, what?” Ame blinked a few times. “Rio and me? We’re both first place?”

“Yes. You have both scored a hundred in the exam,” confirmed Korosensei. “Congratulations.”

Ame gaped for a few more seconds.

_I’m… first?_

_I win…?_

“Woo! Go, Ame! Go Rio!” suddenly exclaimed Kaede.

Instantly, the rest of the class started cheering, while Fuwa marked down one point for the E-Class. Ame let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding, the weight on her chest lifting greatly.

 _I win. It’s…_ She was struggling to find the right words to describe what she was feeling. _Pride? Joy? Relief? Probably all of them and more._

“Great job, Ame!” grinned Rio, extending her fist to her friend.

The teen smiled back, and they bumped fists. “You too, Rio.”

“Once again, congratulations,” repeated Korosensei. “For two of my students to score first place… I’m so proud!”

“Though, what are we going to do about the tentacle on the line?” then wondered Sugino.

“Rio can take it,” suggested Ame without missing a beat.

“You sure?” blinked the blonde, surprised.

“Of course. I’ve already got something else out of this victory anyway,” pointed out the teen.

The two girls exchanged a knowing grin at that. Asano Gakushu wouldn’t know what hit him, that was for sure.

The teacher then passed on everyone’s papers in a flash. Ame could only grin proudly at her perfect score, at the bright, red “A” written at the top of her copy. For once, she actually had good news to bring back to her grandmother.

_Though now I have to see if I actually passed the other exams._

“Next up is Japanese,” then announced Korosensei, picking up a second file. “First in the E-Class… Kanzaki Yukiko! However, first in the grade goes to Asano Gakushu of the A-Class!”

Kanzaki still got second place, though, and that really was something to be proud of, even if she didn’t get a tentacle, in the end. On her side, Fuwa marked down one point for the A-Class.

“Man, that Asano guy can really nab these points, uh?” huffed Maehara.

“That’s the top of the nation for you,” pointed out Isogai. “No chinks—not in any subject. They’re collectively known as the Big Five, but it really comes down to Asano. You’ve got to take him down, else you’ll never get to the top.”

Ame stared at her score. She had ended up in thirteenth place, with an 87. Frankly, she couldn’t find it in herself to be disappointed. After all, she had bet almost everything on the English exam—quite literally.

“Let’s move on,” pursued the octopus. “In social studies, first in the E-Class goes to Isogai Yuma. As for first in the grade? Congratulations! You beat out Asano to take the top spot!”

 _That’s yet another point for us in our bet_ , realized Ame, eyes widening a little. _One more point and we win! And that’s another tentacle too!_

“An excellent job, especially considering all the fiendish questions you had to deal with!”

This time around, Ame had gotten fifth place, with a ninety. She wasn’t all that surprised, though. After all, being part of a group of info-brokers had helped out a lot with learning about what made the world go round and things as such.

“Now, for Science…” Korosensei picked up the fourth file. “First in E-Class is Okuda Manami! And…” His face turned orange once again. “Marvelous! First in the grade is also Okuda Manami!”

There was a moment of stillness. Then, all of the students started cheering loudly when realizing what had just happened: they had three first places on five, which meant they beat the A-Class and thus won the bet.

“We don’t even need to see the Math score!” pointed out Sugino. “The E-Class won this!”

“Great work, Okuda!”

“That tentacle is yours!”

_That makes us three tentacles, then. Did Karma win a fourth one with Math? I wonder if he managed to beat Asano. He was pretty intent on not studying more than he had to, after all._

Ame herself had gotten forty-first place, with a seventy. She wasn’t disappointed, however. At least this time around, she hadn’t failed.

“And last but not least, Math!” announced Korosensei. “First in E-Class is Akabane Karma! As for first in the grade… is Asano Gakushu!”

The black-haired girl instantly snapped her eyes at Karma, who had stiffened. He had obviously been expecting a different result, but she couldn’t really find it in herself to be surprised. After all, he had acted exactly the way she had been acting before: he hadn’t done anything and still expected things to go his way.

_But it doesn’t work like that._

At the same time, she got her exam back.

 _I’ve always struggled with Math, but I managed to pass this time around thanks to my efforts,_ she realized, smiling a little when seeing she had ended up in sixty-seventh place, with a score of 61. _I’ve learned my lesson thanks to my failure, and I can only hope Karma has now learned his the same way._

* * *

_ Naoki Ame _

_ Overall score: 408 _

_ Ranked 91st of 185 _

Ame’s heart swelled with pride. This time around, she hadn’t let anyone down. This time around, she had managed to be _both_ an assassin and a student. This time around, she had managed to use her second blade. She was amongst the last in her class, but it was still much, _much_ better than being dead last.

Next time around, though, she’d do even _better_.

“All right, class, you had a fine showing at the finals, taking the top spot in three of five subjects. So, shall we get started with the assassination?” proposed Korosensei. “The top three can choose any tentacle they like.”

“Just wait a damn second now, octopus!” suddenly exclaimed Terasaka. “We got more than three in the top spots!”

“Ah? No, there are three, Terasaka,” refuted their teacher, confused. “Over Japanese, English, social studies and—“

“Uh? Quite playin’ dumb!” protested the boy. “You said all the subjects, right? Then Japanese, English, social studies, science, math… and home ec!”

“H- home ec!?”

At that, Terasaka grinned smugly, handing over some papers. “No one said what subjects to ace!”

Terasaka, Hazama, Muramatsu, and Yoshida had all scored a hundred in home ec, which actually meant… that they had just bagged four more tentacles in one go?

“Kekeke, nice that we all had a hand in this scheme,” chuckled Hazama.

“W- wait a second! Home ec is just—“

“Just what?” asked Karma, smirking a little. He had been silent ever since receiving his grade, but he seemed to have finally gotten back to normal. “Isn’t that a little rude, Korosensei? Why, home ec is the toughest subject of them all.”

“Yeah!”

“Don’t break your promise!”

“Four of us scored highest in the most important subject: home ec!”

“Wait, doesn’t that mean Ame gets a tentacle too after all?” then pointed out Maehara, grinning. “We hadn’t thought about it before, but Korosensei never said that there was a limit to the number of students who could get top scores!”

“Then that means we have eight tentacles in all!” exclaimed happily Kurahashi.

“Eight! Eight! Eight!” started chanting the students.

“E- eight!?” panicked Korosensei. “Eh!?!”

Isogai raised his hand, making everyone quiet down somewhat. “Korosensei? We’ve also been talking about it for a while, and… we’ve decided to use our prize from the A-Class wager with this assassination.”

“… eh?”

Ame smiled a little at that. So she had a tentacle after all, uh? Korosensei really was in a pinch, then. After all, that meant he would only possess twenty percent of his speed if they planned everything right—

“You said all the subjects, right?”

_All… of them?_

Faster than the eyes could follow, Ame pulled out all of her papers and quickly started reading through them. She hadn’t really paid attention to it earlier, but now that Terasaka had mentioned it…

_There it is!_

“Hey, everyone!” she called, a wolfish grin slowly stretching her lips. “Would now be a good time to tell you I’ve scored first place in P.E. as well?”

…

…

…

All eyes widened at the announcement while Korosensei stiffened visibly, sweating heavily. Her grin only widened, if possible, as she waved her paper for everyone to see.

“I’ve got a hundred in P.E. and the best overall score,” she repeated. “And Terasaka’s right—you said _all_ subjects. So, that means I’ve got another tentacle, right, Korosensei?”

“So- so you’re saying…”

“We’ve got _nine tentacles_!?”

“Wow!”

“Awesome!”

“N- n- n- n- n- nine tentacles…?” miserably squeaked out Korosensei.

That sent the rest of the class into yet another cheering fit, while their teacher slumped over his desk, obviously not having expected to lose ninety percent of his speed all at once. But what could Ame say? He had given them the right incentive, thus digging up his own grave. And, now that they had the stage for the assassination, all they had to do was set everything up. They hadn’t planned an assassination on such a big scale before, and never in such circumstances, so it was a chance they simply couldn’t afford to let pass.

_Who knows? Maybe this time will be the right one._

A few minutes later, the chaos finally died down somewhat. Most students simply couldn’t believe their luck, though. Nine tentacles? That was much, much more than what they had been expecting, and it was a great opportunity.

“Ne, Ame! What—“ Rio blinked a few times, startled. “Ame…?”

The black-haired girl didn’t answer, though. Slumped over her desk, her papers scattered all around her… she was now snoring lightly. Her exhaustion apparently catching up to her, she had finally given in and fallen asleep.

“She really gave it her all, didn’t she?” mused Maehara.

“I don’t remember ever seeing Ame work so hard for exams before,” admitted the blonde, smiling a little. “I guess she’s just mentally exhausted.”

“Let her rest for now,” proposed Isogai. “The assembly is only in two hours, so let’s not bother her. She did get us two tentacles—we owe this much.”

The other students could only agree.

* * *

.

.

“Ooh, here he comes, Mr. Student Council President!”

At Terasaka’s exclamation, Ame looked up from the book she was reading. After her sudden nap in class, she had followed everyone back to the main campus for the ceremony. The entire class had decided to come early so as to find Asano as quickly as possible and clear things up.

They had won the bet, after all.

“I don’t have the time for the E-Class right now,” replied the orange-haired boy.

“Oi, not so fast!” Terasaka grabbed his shoulder, making him stop. “Aren’t you forgettin’ something?”

The Principal’s son stiffened at that, averting his gaze somewhat. They, however, landed on the entire E-Class, who had been waiting for his arrival.

“We had a bet, Asano, where the winner could make any one demand,” announced Isogai, crossing his arms over his chest. “We sent our demand via e-mail. I trust you have no complaints?”

“And don’t you even try pretendin’ it was all just a joke!” added Terasaka smugly. “We could always throw home ec into those five subjects! And P.E.!”

Ame smirked a little at that. While Terasaka let his victory get to his head a little bit, she couldn’t help but feel the same. Getting one over the A-Class truly was a gratifying feeling.

“… we know,” finally let out Asano through his teeth. He was obviously trying his best not to lose his cool. “As per our agreement, the favor is thus accorded.”

The entire E-for-End class could only grin at that. Satisfied with the outcome, and greatly enjoying the disbelieving looks the rest of the students were throwing them, they quickly went to form the ranks for the assembly. Ame lazily rose to her feet, exchanging a small smirk with Rio, before walking up to the Big Five.

“What? Here to rub it in our faces some more?” spat Tomoya as soon as he spotted her.

“I could,” she shrugged, not bothering with hiding her smugness. “But I only came here to remind Asano here that he now owes me one. Isn’t that so?”

The boy’s eyes sharpened. “You wish to make good of that favor now?”

“No, I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t forget,” replied simply the girl. “Though I guess I can respect your sense of honor, if nothing else.”

“Oi, oi, don’t talk to him like that, you—“

“Enough, Koyama,” Asano cut him off. “We’re going.”

“R- right…”

Glad he would honor his word, the teen bowed her head slightly, before heading back to her friends. The five boys of the A-Class watched her go before Ren smirked slightly.

“As fiery as the first time we met, isn’t she?”

“I underestimated her,” admitted Asano, eyes narrowed on the black-haired girl. “It is not a mistake I shall make twice.”

On which he walked away without another look for the E-Class. The four other boys exchanged unsure glances at that, before following after him.

* * *

The assembly was going to start in a minute or so when someone suddenly took the place usually left for Ritsu’s copycat. Everyone startled a bit… when they all saw a purple-haired girl looking _exactly_ like their robotic classmate.

“Ri- Ritsu?”

“What happened?”

“You have a body now?”

“This is so weird…”

“Hi, everyone!” beamed the purple-haired girl. “It’s so nice to finally meet you all properly!”

“How did that even happen?” gaped Sugaya.

“A friend helped me out and created this body for me,” answered the Artificial Intelligence, beaming brightly. “The fake skin is actually composed of multiple sensors allowing me to notice when someone or something comes in contact with me, in plus of making me look human!”

“Had I not known you were a program to begin with, I seriously would have thought you were an actual person,” mused Rio, lightly poking the girl’s cheek. “This is weird and awesome at the same time.”

As the rest of the students awed over the new form of their classmate, Karasuma narrowed his eyes. He had not heard anything regarding the evolution of Ritsu, so it led him to believe an outside hand was at work here.

_Ritsu said a friend helped her, but where could she have possibly found a friend who’d create such a body for her? And one possessing such advanced technology, at that…_

His eyes landed on Naoki, and he instantly noticed how she didn’t look all that surprised by her classmate’s new appearance. He refrained from groaning at that.

_Of course she knows what’s going on. Why wouldn’t she? I honestly don’t know what to make of that girl anymore._

He could ask Ritsu later on, but something told him she wouldn’t say anything more than she already did. Shaking his head, he decided to simply drop it. After all, it was probably better this way. At least now, he wouldn’t have to deal with his supervisor’s daughter.

* * *

.

.

“Now, it may be summer vacation, but don’t slack off. You, err…” The man wasn’t really sure what to say, glancing nervously at the E-Class. “You- you don’t want to end up like the E-Class…”

Even those remarks couldn’t affect the assassins in training, though. For the first time in a long, long time, they could stand straight with their chins held high. They weren’t afraid of any of the students around them, because they had proved to everyone they weren’t the failures they were believed to be.

They were the E-Class.

The End Class.

But most of all… they were training to kill their teacher and save the world. Grades were nothing compared to what they were working for, working toward. It was only another blade to add to their arsenal, another means to reach their goal… and they would stop at _nothing_ to achieve it.

_No matter what._


	17. Seventeenth Period: Summer Break Time

“Obaa-san? I’m home!”

“Welcome home, Ame-chan!” Her grandmother arrived, a small smile on her lips. It seemed a little wary, though. “How did it go?”

Ame smiled softly at that. Her grandmother had always been worried about her dropping grades, and she really couldn’t blame her for it. But now? Now, she had good news to bring back home, and it truly felt great to deliver them.

“It went great,” she assured. “I scored first in the grade in both English and P.E., and my overall score is 408, which means in I’m 94th place.”

“A- Ame!” gasped the old woman. “This is wonderful! Ooh, I knew you could do it!”

At that, the teen lowered her eyes somewhat. “Obaa-san… I know I haven’t been the easiest person to deal with. Or at least, not when it comes to school. And yet, you’ve never given up on me. You’ve always pushed me to do my best, even if I stubbornly refused to listen. So, thank you. Thank you, for always believing in me.”

“Oh, Ame…”

The wrinkled woman brought her into a tight, warm hug. Ame lingered in her hold for a moment, taking comfort in the familiar presence. With her studies, her work for the Zodiac, the target on her back and the assassination, the teen had simply been overwhelmed and hadn’t really seen her family that much. Though, now? Now everything was over, or at least for a little while. She could allow herself to relax.

“How about we go out for dinner together, with the children?” then proposed her grandmother, pulling away. “To celebrate!”

“All right, but I’m paying,” warned Ame.

“Nonsense!” scoffed her grandmother. “I may be old, but I can still afford to spoil my family from time to time! I’m paying and that’s the end of it, understood?”

“Y- yes ma’am,” sweatdropped Ame.

Her caretaker instantly found back her smile. “Wonderful! Why don’t we go tell the children, then? They’re playing outside.”

“Let’s go, then.”

They went to the back of the house before going out into the small courtyard. All of the children were playing with Kiba’s ball—well, saved for Leo, he was entertaining himself with a small toy, safely sitting in his chair.

“Ame-nee!” exclaimed Ash, the first to see her. She instantly abandoned the game to run up to her. “I feel like we haven’t seen you in- in _forever_!”

A pang of guilt surged in the teen. She really _did_ push her family aside, didn’t she?

“Sorry ‘bout that, Ash,” apologized the girl, ruffling her hair. “I’ve been studying hard, is all.”

“You? Studying?” scoffed Kiba, cheeky. “As if. I bet you failed your finals!”

“Ah? I actually _passed_ , you brat,” she replied, waving her overall grade in his face. “I’m 94th! _94th_! And I’m the first in both English and P.E. too!”

“No way!” The boy grabbed the sheet, gaping at it in disbelief. “You cheated, didn’t you?”

“I did _not_!” she huffed, a tad bit offended. “I do a lot of things, Kiba, but I don’t cheat. I have worked hard for this result and I’ll do even better next time around!”

“It’s really good, considering you were in last place at the midterms,” mused Rin.

“I know, right?” grinned Ame. “Anyway, guess what? We’re all going out to celebrate!”

Their eyes instantly brightened up at that. Since they didn’t have that much money to begin with, they couldn’t really afford to eat at the restaurant or things like that. So, they were obviously overjoyed with the news.

“Yes!” cheered Ash. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

“Where- where are we going anyway?” wondered Jackie.

“I actually don’t know,” admitted Ame, turning to her grandmother. “Obaa-san? What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I thought we could all go to this little café I found a while ago,” she proposed. “It’s a really nice place, and I’m sure you’ll like it!”

“Okay, sure thing!” Ame turned back to the children. “Well, what are you guys waiting for? Go grab your jackets and let’s get going!”

They all cheered at that, instantly rushing inside. Both Ame and the old woman chuckled at their enthusiasm. Then, the teen walked up to Leo. Quickly getting him out of his chair, she pecked his nose, earning herself a childish giggle.

“Me-nee! Me-nee!” He pulled her cheeks a little, making her laugh. “Me-nee!”

“That’s almost it, sweetheart. You’re getting better,” she replies, gently pulling his hands off her face. She kissed his thumb. “So, you wanna come with us, little guy?”

He giggled some more, and she took that as a yes. She handed him over to her grandmother, who returned inside to get him ready. Once she was gone, Ame bit her lower lip.

_I agreed to this without really thinking, but is it really safe? I mean, there hasn’t been any attempt since Shiro, but I’m still a target. I don’t want to put them in danger…_

She then shook her head, chasing those dark thoughts away. She couldn’t stop herself from living either, even less stop her family. She’d just go and enjoy her evening, and keep an eye out. If things even turned south, then she’d call for back up and everything would be fine.

She wouldn’t let anyone hurt her loved ones.

* * *

.

.

Ame gaped for a few seconds at the café they had gone to, surprised. She finally let out a startled laugh.

“What is it, Ame-chan?” wondered her grandmother.

“Oh, nothing,” assured the teen. “Let’s go!”

So they went in. Instantly, they were greeted by Kanako, who smiled when seeing the girl.

“Hello, Ame-chan! Do you want your usual table?” she proposed kindly.

“Actually, I think a bigger one may be in order,” admitted Ame, gesturing to the kids just behind her.

“Oh, I see! Well, follow me!”

They did as told and, a moment later, they were all settled at the biggest table in the small café, next to a window. Kanako handed over the menus, which the kids instantly took a hold of, before smiling once again at the orange-eyed teen.

“I’ll send Isogai to take care of you guys, alright?”

“Sure. Thanks, Kanako.”

“Of course!”

As the kind girl walked away, Ame’s grandmother leaned over the table, apologetic.

“I had no idea you were a regular here, Ame-chan. We can go and find another place—“

“Oh, why bother?” chuckled the girl. “I had actually been planning on bringing everyone here at one time or another, so why not today?”

“Well, if you’re sure…”

Ame grabbed her hand and squeezed it in a reassuring gesture. “I’m sure, Obaa-san.”

Her grandmother found back her smile at that, before picking up the menu herself. Already knowing what she was taking, Ame didn’t bother with it and instead helped the other kids decide. Thankfully, the food wasn’t overpriced, so she wasn’t all that worried when it came to money. If it really got too much, then she’d pay half of it, simple as that.

“Hi, Ame-san!”

“Oh, Isogai-kun!” she greeted. “I didn’t have the time to tell you earlier, but congratulations on your first place in social studies!”

“Ah, thank you. Though, congratulations as well to you! You got two first places, did you not?” he pointed out.

“I guess I was rightly motivated this time around,” she simply shrugged. “And I _did_ have a promise to keep.”

::

_“Ugh, I guess I’ll do what I can. I do owe you one. So… yeah. Guess I’ll try my best. I can’t promise great results, but I can… I can promise that, at least.”_

::

He laughed a little at that. “Well, I’d say you did a pretty good job at it. Anyhow, it’s the first time I see those faces, isn’t it?”

“Oh, right!” She gestured to her family, who were staring at them in confusion. “This is my grandmother, and these are my siblings. We’ve come here to celebrate my not-failing the finals.”

“Ah ah, I see.” He smiled at the kids. “I’m Isogai Yuma, one of Ame-san’s classmates. It’s very nice to meet you.”

“It’s the first time I meet one of your friends since that Rio girl, Ame-chan,” pointed out her grandmother. “You never told me you had such a charming classmate!”

“Obaa-san!”

The old woman chuckled at that. “Alright, alright. Well, I think we are all ready to order?”

The rest of the kids mutely nodded, still somewhat stunned. To be honest, they never really thought Ame could have _friends_ , of all things. She rarely went out for anything other than work and she never brought anyone back home. However, seeing her interact with her classmate made them realize she wasn’t as… isolated, as they first believed.

They realized Ame had other people than them in her life.

“What’s with the long faces, guys?” mused the teen, lightly tapping Amaya’s head. “Come on, let’s order. I’m famished!”

They all brightened up at that. They might not be the sole people in Ame’s life, but they were still her sole family. That had to count for something, right?

* * *

The evening had been going well. Everyone enjoyed themselves, the food was great, and Ame finally felt she could relax. Surrounded by her family, just living in the moment… She missed the days she could be so carefree.

_But it’ll be fine. Usagi and the others will find a solution—_

“And now, the desert!”

Ame blinked, startled, as Isogai placed an entire cake in the middle of the table.

“Err, Isogai-kun…?”

He simply smiled. “It’s on the house. A gift from the cooks, to congratulate you.”

She shook her head, a small smile on her lips. The children were all staring at the treat with stars in their eyes, so who was she to refuse?

“I’ll go thank them, then,” she announced, rising to her feet. “I’ll be back in a few. Leave a piece for me, would you?”

“No promises!” chanted Kiba and Ash, forks already in hands.

She rolled her eyes at that, flicking their noses, before following Isogai into the kitchens. Once there, she was greeted by five grinning cooks.

“So? What’d you think, Ame-chan?”

“It looks amazing, Chichi-san,” she assured. She then bowed. “Thank you very much! I’ll repay you as soon as I have enough money!”

“Ah! You sure can be dumb, Ame-chan!” chortled another cook. “It’s a gift, a _gift_! You don’t repay people for those.”

“But—“

“You shouldn’t fight it, Ame-san,” sighed Isogai with a defeated shrug. “They’ve done the same for me, and I’ve spent hours arguing. They’re just too stubborn.”

“Urgh, fine. I’ll take it, but only this once,” she warned, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s not like I don’t have money either.”

“Don’t worry about it, Ame-chan,” replied Chichi, ruffling her hair. “We’re just happy for you.”

“Then thanks, I guess. Again. I’ll see you guys whenever I drop by again, then. Later!”

“Bye-bye!”

The cooks waved her goodbye, and she turned around to head back to the dining hall. Just as she reached the door, though, she stiffened. Isogai, just behind her, frowned slightly.

“Ame-san…?”

She ignored him and quickly looked through the small window… only to find an unknown man talking with her grandmother. From her point of view, she could easily see the shapes of the different weapons he was hiding under his coat.

“An assassin,” she breathed out, her throat drying. She took a step back. “Shit! This- this wasn’t supposed to happen, this isn’t—“

“Ame-san!” snapped Isogai, though not loud enough to draw attention. “What’s going on? You said—“

“It’s an assassin,” she repeated, breathing in deeply to try and keep calm. “He’s after me. Isogai-kun, I- I need to go. If I stay here, they’ll be in danger.”

“No. If you leave now, you’ll be in the open and it’ll be dangerous,” he protested. “Just let me call Korosensei—“

“We don’t have time!” she refused. “He’s not here right now, he won’t make it back in time, and I can’t leave that guy hanging around my family any longer. I’ll head out and try to shake him off my trail. I need you to go back to the table and tell everyone that I- that I left for my job because it was an emergency. The guy will leave and everything will be fine.”

“Didn’t you say you had an escort? Why can’t they help you?” he pointed out, running out of ideas.

“Actually…”

He paled a little when understanding what she wasn’t saying out loud.

“You didn’t tell them you were going out!?”

“I thought it’d be fine!” she replied, losing her patience. “Look, I don’t have time for this! Please, just… Please. I need your help.”

“… fine. But we’re doing it my way.”

“What?”

* * *

“Oh, Isogai-kun!” greeted Ame’s grandmother once he returned to the table. “Where’s Ame-chan? This gentleman here says she forgot something at her job, so he’s looking for her.”

Isogai plastered a smile on his face, turning to the man. He knew for a fact that said man was not Ame’s colleague, considering what she had told him.

“She actually got a call from her job,” he answered in a kind tone. “She’s waiting outside, in the back of the restaurant. Another of her colleagues is bringing back what she forgot for her.”

“I see,” grunted the man, bowing a little. “My job here’s done, then. Have a nice evening, ma’am, kids.”

On which he left. Isogai let out a small breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. He offered yet another smile to Ame’s family, before heading back to the kitchens.

* * *

“Where the hell is the brat?” huffed the assassin.

He had found the door in the back of the café, where the other brat had said she was waiting for whatever stuff she had forgotten—which didn’t make sense, considering he had made that up on the spot. So, where was she? He had other things to do.

“Oh? Might you be looking for someone?”

 _I didn’t sense him!_ He spun around, a gun slipping into his hand. “Who’re you? Show yourself!”

The tall figure was hidden in the shadows of the alley. Tensed, the assassin watched as the mysterious figure slowly stepped into the light… and almost had a heart attack: it was the monster—the one at the top of every hit list in the world. The ultimate target… and not the one he had been aiming for in the first place.

“W- what do you want with me?” he barked, grip tightening on the weapon. “I ain’t done nothin’!”

“No. No, you haven’t,” agreed the octopus, smiling. “But you were aiming to. You are targeting my precious student, are you not?”

“I- I didn’t—“

“Unforgivable.”

The man didn’t even have the time to scream.

* * *

“I don’t get it,” sighed Ame, running a hand through her hair. “How did Korosensei come here so fast? He was supposed to be in Hawaii tonight.”

She had actually been hiding in the kitchens while their teacher handled the threat. She had decided not to question the boy earlier, since she didn’t want to risk having the assassin target her family instead, but now that the danger had been averted…

“Karasuma-sensei made him stay at the school to help to prepare the trip,” shrugged the boy. “I had to help them out since I’m the Class president.”

“So that’s why you knew he’d come,” understood the teen. She exhaled deeply. “I guess that’s one crisis averted, then. Thanks, Isogai-kun.”

“No, thank _you_ , Ame-san.”

“Uh?” She turned to him, confused. “What for?”

He could only smile at that. “For trusting me. Thank you.”

“Oh. Well, it’s- it’s normal, right?” she replied, averting her gaze. “We’re classmates, after all.”

“Right.” He decided not to linger on it any longer. “You should probably go back to your family, now, else they’ll start worrying.”

“You’re right. I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

He nodded in confirmation, and she left to go back to her family. He watched her go, somewhat relieved. He had been extremely worried at first when she said it was an assassin, but everything had been handled smoothly.

_And she trusted me without a second thought…_

For some reason, it made him happy.

* * *

.

.

Ame groaned a little as her phone buzzed. Rubbing her eyes, she checked the message she had just received.

_It’s from Kurahashi…_

She was asking her if she wanted to go bug-hunting with her. Ame didn’t really understand what she meant by it, but thought ‘why not?’. After all, it’s not like she had better to do. The Zodiac was fairly busy with whatever was going on with the gangs and, now that Ame was a target, she was fairly recognizable to anyone who had access to the damn Dark List. Otherwise said, she wouldn’t be able to go on her usual scouting jobs and directly meet with their own targets anymore, since they’d surely recognize her right away.

 _At least they don’t know I’m a member of the Zodiac. That would have_ really _gotten me in trouble._

Smiling a little, Ame texted the orange-haired girl to confirm. She’d join her at the school grounds. Since they’d be “hunting” in the forest of the E-Class campus, she wouldn’t need an escort. She did text Hana to warn her, though. She didn’t want to repeat yesterday’s mistake, after all.

“A- Ame-nee…?”

Startled, the teen straightened up to see none other than Jackie shyly hiding behind her opened door.

“Hey, Jackie,” she greeted, somewhat puzzled. “Is everything alright?”

“I just… I wanted to know if- if you wanted to spend the day with me…?” he asked, obviously uncertain. “’Cause Obaa-san is busy taking care of Leo and Kiba-nii has his basketball club and Rin-nee is studying again and Ama-chan is at the library and Ash-chan is cooking so...”

The teen thought about it for a second. On one side, there was the risk of running into another assassin. On the other, though, she couldn’t just push her family away in hopes of protecting them. She had seen enough movies and dramas to know that it always turned badly in the end, be it for the supposed heroin or those she tried to protect.

“Sure!” she finally answered, smiling a little. She sat up properly and started stretching. “Though, I’m going out with a friend. Bug-hunting, or something like that. Are you sure you’re up for it?”

“Y- yeah!” assured the boy, brightening up instantly.

“Great. Just let me change, and we’ll be on our way, ‘kay?”

“Okay!”

* * *

Ame glanced at the blond boy who’s hand she was now holding. It was the first time he was going any further than his own school, so he was a little scared by the new environment. He was holding on tightly to the teen’s hand, and she was pretty sure he would have already run away if it wasn’t for the fact that he had no idea where to go.

“Jackie, I can bring you back home if you want,” she suggested gently.

“No!” he protested instantly, his grip tightening. “I- I wanna go with you!”

“Okay, okay,” chuckled the girl. She ruffled his hair. “Stop worrying so much, though, alright? I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

“I- I know.”

They crossed the street and started walking again. The way there was rather long, but Ame hadn’t wanted to risk running into those gang members she had angered weeks ago and so she had taken a considerable detour. Thankfully, even if Jackie was an easily scared kid, he wasn’t one who complained too much. So, bearing with the heat and the long walk, he didn’t utter a word, though he never let go of Ame’s hand.

After twenty minutes or so, Kunugigaoka finally appeared in sight. Checking around, but seeing no one suspicious, they both reached the school’s premises at last. A little less fearful now that there wasn’t as much movement around them, Jackie started looking at the gigantic building with childish curiosity.

“Is that your school, Ame-nee?”

“Yep,” she confirmed, checking the time on her phone. “Though that’s the main campus. I’m in the E-Class, so I go to school on top of the mountain over there.”

“Eh? Really?”

“Yeah—“

“AME-CHAN!”

At the exclamation, the black-haired teen turned around, just in time to catch Kurahashi, who had jumped into her arms. She blinked a few times as the younger girl in her arms beamed brightly.

“I’m so glad you could come!” The ginger jumped back on her feet, apparently excited. “I asked the others but they were all busy, so it’s just going to be the two of us. Is that okay?”

“Uh, sure. Though, it’s more like three of us…”

“Uh?”

It’s only then that Kurahashi noticed the little boy hiding behind Ame’s legs. Her sudden appearance had apparently startled him and he didn’t even dare to look at her.

“This is my younger brother, Jackie,” introduced Ame, gently patting the kid’s head. “Jackie, this is the friend I was telling you about, Kurahashi. Come on, say hello.”

He slightly lifted his head, mumbling under his breath what seemed to be a greeting.

“Aw, you’re so cute!” grinned the ginger. She clasped her hands together. “I’m glad you’re with us, Jackie! It’s going to be fun, you’ll see!”

He seemed to perk up a little at that, nodding slightly. Ame smiled softly, glad he seemed to be coming out of his shell. Kurahashi was a cheerful spirit, he’d surely warm up to her in no time.

“So, Kurahashi, what exactly _is_ bug-hunting?”

* * *

.

.

“Oh, look! I got one!”

Ame chuckled as Kurahashi jumped from the tree branch she had climbed on. “You’re pretty agile, aren’t you? And you’re pretty fast at climbing trees too… Good skills to have, really.”

“Well, I’ve always enjoyed going out and roaming in the forest,” admitted the ginger, before extending her hand to show off the bug she had caught. “And catching these little guys is fun! Don’t you think so, Jackie—uh? Jackie?”

The boy was once again hiding behind Ame. He seemed to like Kurahashi but, as soon as he noticed the bug, he had paled and gone to hide behind his sister.

“Jackie is easily frightened,” admitted Ame, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“Frightened?” Kurahashi laughed a little. “There’s nothing to be afraid of! Here, come closer.”

The child bit his lower lip, obviously not all that tempted to get any closer to the bug, but Ame gently pushed him forward. Kurahashi crouched so their eyes could meet and smiled kindly.

“Can I tell you a secret, Jackie?” she asked in a fake hushed tone.

The boy’s eyes widened a little at that. “Secret?”

“Hm! You see, when I was your age, I was scared of _everything_ ,” she admitted.

“Everything…?”

“Yeah! I was scared of the dark, I was scared of heights, I was scared of bugs… I was even scared of crossing the street on my own!” Kurahashi laughed again. “It was a little silly, now that I think back on it, because there really wasn’t anything to be scared of.”

“B- but you climbed the tree!” he protested, not really believing her. “And- and you think catching bugs is fun!”

“Yeah, but that’s because I had some help getting over my fears. Here!” She pulled off one of the many bracelets from her wrist. “Believe it or not, but this is a magic bracelet.”

“Magic…?”

“Uh uh! Whenever I felt scared, I used this bracelet to give me courage! Here, try it on.”

She quickly tied the bracelet around his wrist. After what, she showed him the bug she was still holding, and he jumped back a little.

“I- it’s not working! It’s not working!” he protested.

“You have to believe in it first,” she replied calmly. “This bracelet will protect you, okay? Here, close your eyes and give me your hand.”

“B- but—“

“Jackie, just give it a try, okay?” smiled Ame, kneeling next to him. “I’m right here, so nothing’s gonna happen. You know that, right? Plus, you’ve got Kurahashi’s magic bracelet now. What could go wrong?”

He bit his lower lip, still hesitating. After a few seconds, though, he gave in and closed his eyes, extending his hand forward. Kurahashi delicately placed the bug in his open palm and he instantly flinched. Ame placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“So? Does it hurt?” wondered the ginger, a tad amused by the whole situation.

“N- no…” Carefully, the bug opened his eyes. “I- it tickles…”

“They might look scary but, trust me, they’re more scared of you,” replied Kurahashi, taking back the bug and putting it in a little box. “After all, you’re so big and strong!”

That finally earned a little laugh from the boy, who seemed to relax at last. He then glanced at the bracelet, apparently pondering on something.

“C- can I keep it?” he suddenly asked.

Ame cringed a little at that. “Jackie, that’s—“

“Of course!” beamed Kurahashi. “As long as you promise to take care of it, okay?”

“I- I promise! I’ll be extra careful!” he gasped.

“Great! Now, why don’t you go check that tree over there? I think I spotted another bug,” suggested the cheery ginger.

“R- right!”

As soon as he ran off, Ame turned to her friend. “Kurahashi, your bracelet—“

“Don’t worry about it, Ame-chan,” smiled the smaller girl, lightly patting her shoulder. “He’s really sweet, and I’m happy to help.”

“Well, if you’re sure…”

“I am!” laughed her classmate, apparently free of any worries. “Now come on, we can’t let him catch all the good ones.”

That made Ame laugh, if only at the craziness of the situation. Jackie the scaredy cat catching bugs? Kiba would have a field day when he’d hear about it.

* * *

.

.

“Kurahashi, I think we found—oh, you guys are here too?”

Sugino, Maehara, and Nagisa blinked a few times, startled by Ame’s sudden appearance. She was the last person they expected to meet in the forest during summer vacation.

“Eh? Are you bug-hunting too, Ame?” wondered Maehara.

“Kurahashi invited me,” shrugged the girl. “You’re here to scrape up some spending money, then?”

“They were after stag beetles,” replied Kurahashi. “I explained how it wouldn’t work already.”

“Well, yeah,” snorted Ame. “The market crashed years ago.”

_To think I learned that from Karasu…_

“Ne, how about we all go bug-hunting together?” suggested the ginger. “We’re bound to find tons if we all try!”

“Ashi-nee! I got one!”

“Ooh! Good job, Jackie!”

The little boy stumbled out of the bushes, a tad disheveled and covered in dirt, but sporting a gigantic grin on his lips as he proudly showed her the bug he had just caught.

“Uh? Who’s this one?” blinked Maehara.

The child stiffened at the voice, only then noticing the other three. He instantly quieted down, stepping closer to Kurahashi.

“That’s my brother, Jackie,” answered Ame, going to stand next to the kid. “Jackie, those are some of my classmates: Maehara—“

“Yo!”

“Sugino—“

“Hi!”

“And Nagisa.”

“Hello.”

The kid waved shyly, making Ame laugh. She swiftly picked him up, using her thumb to wipe off some of the dirt he had smeared on his face.

“Gee, what’s Obaa-san going to say when we get back home?” she mused.

“That- that you’re a bad in- in- in—“

“Influence?” provided Maehara, now amused.

“Yeah!”

Ame sweatdropped at that. “You learned that from Kiba, didn’t you? Don’t get cheeky!”

She started tickling him. The shyness was instantly forgotten as he started wriggling around, trying to free himself as he yelped and laughed. Ame was laughing too, forgetting for a moment about her classmates. Themselves were a little startled by how open and carefree Ame seemed to act. Not only did they not know she had a brother, to begin with, but it was the first time they saw her interact so… lovingly, with someone.

 _Like what, everyone has some hidden traits, uh_? Mused Nagisa.

* * *

Ame and Jackie ended up leaving as soon as they ran into Okajima. Not only did she not want the kid to be corrupted by the pervert, but she also didn’t want to risk getting him involved in the assassination attempt that would soon follow. Okajima had apparently been planning it for a while and she couldn’t risk Jackie finding out about it. He’d surely tell her grandmother and _that_ would get her in trouble. So, they bid their goodbyes to everyone before heading down the mountain to head back home.

“So, did you enjoy bug-hunting, Jackie?” Ame asked as they left the school grounds.

“Yeah! It was really fun and I wasn’t scared anymore and Ashi-nee is really nice too!”

The teen laughed at that. “That she is. You take good care of that bracelet, okay?”

“I know!”

In the end, bringing him along wasn’t such a bad idea, she mused internally. With Kurahashi’s help, maybe he’ll be able to face his fears more easily. She was grateful for that, she really was. She’d find a way to make it up to Kurahashi, that much was certain.

* * *

.

.

“Hey, Usagi? Have you seen—BUTA!”

The young girl propelled herself at the man, who easily caught her, laughing all along. Grinning, she tapped his head.

“Still as hairless as ever, uh?”

“I’ll let you know that my wife _likes_ my hairless head,” huffed the man, putting her down.

“It’s so bare she can admire her reflection in it, so of course she’d like it,” snorted the girl.

“Aa? Where’s all that cheekiness coming from, brat?”

She simply laughed again, this time hugging him properly. “Welcome back, Buta.”

“Yeah, I’m back.”

Buta was one of the founding members of the Zodiac and also the oldest, what with being forty-two years old. He was a bomber and a certified chemist that was banned from his country after a little lab accident that more or less poisoned the entire city and he had moved to Japan when he was nineteen. The guy was a genius and he was often working closely with Hana on developing new poisons, though he preferred working with explosives. He also had a wife who believed him to be a simple scientist and who knew nothing of his… less than legal, activities.

The man had been gone for many months, now, sent to different cities on a Refresh mission. Those missions were meant to “refresh” their data and general information they had on the city, its people, its economic and political state, new gangs, etc, etc. Since there was a lot of ground to cover, it always took a while for the members accomplishing them, but they had to be thorough. After all, what kind of info-brokers would they be if they did things half-way?

“Anyway, I only just heard about your little situation,” then remarked Buta. “You just can’t stay still, can you?”

“What can I say? I’m a sucker for attention,” she deadpanned. “You know, this morning, I was really tempted to go outside with this gigantic board saying ‘Come on, kill me! I’m one of the most wanted people in Japan!’ but decided against it since finding a board was too much of a hassle.”

“Ah! You haven’t changed a bit, Ame,” he snorted, ruffling her hair. “Glad to see you’re still a cheeky little shit even after all of this.”

“It’ll take more than a target behind my head to take me down!” she replied, grinning. “Plus, I’ve got everyone watching my back, so why worry?”

“Maybe you _should_ worry.” Ame stiffened at the new voice. “I mean, you’re going to that special resort in Okinawa, aren’t you?”

“M- Mest!?”

The man in question stepped out of the shadows, his face as expressionless as always. Mest was also one of the founding members of the Zodiac, being thirty-eight of age, and had taken up the codename “Same”. He was one of the “shadow members”, just like Karasu, Sasori and herself, Kitsune. He possessed a special ability that made him absolutely perfect for infiltration missions: he was a mimicker. He could mimic voices, facial expressions and personality traits to the perfection after only seeing or hearing them once, which allowed him to gather information rather easily in the hardest-to-reach places.

They… didn’t really get along, though. Mest was one of the three members who were absolutely against her joining the organization in the first place, after all. However, they kept it civilized, neither of them really up for starting unnecessary hostilities.

“What exactly do you mean?” she asked, calming down. “What’s wrong with the resort?”

“The Fukuma Resort Hotel is fine,” he replied with a light shrug. “The tower at the top of the island, though? Not so much.”

“What? Why?”

At that, though, Buta frowned. “You don’t know? The tower is one of the meeting points for most gang leaders and other higher figures of the Underworld. There are many enemy organizations who have an agent twenty-four/seven in there, to keep an eye on the ongoing deals and on their competitors and rivals. That’s a live Black Market.”

“How quaint,” sweatdropped Ame. She then shook her head. “So I’m guessing that stepping foot in this tower would be—“

“Suicide, yes!”

“Sa- Saru!”

Buta waved cheerily at their leader while Mest bowed respectfully. Saru simply grinned, waving back, before coming over to pat her head.

“That tower is known as the Citadel. In it reside many assassins, info-brokers, terrorists, gangsters, dealers, and all other kinds of unsavory people that populate the Underworld,” he resumed, smiling as always. “You can be certain that most of them, if not all of them, already know of you and your bounty. After all, you’re the youngest person to ever have your name on the Japanese Dark List—it’s bound to gather some attention.”

“Then what do I do?” she frowned. “This trip is meant for Korosensei’s assassination and I honestly think this is the best chance we have at killing him. I can’t just back out now!”

“You don’t have to,” he assured, soothing her worries. “The resort you’re going to is expressly meant for tourists who have no idea whatsoever of what’s happening in the Citadel. There have been a few… incidents, in the past, which lead to innocents getting involved in Underworld business. It got messy, higher authorities intervened, and it’s been pretty much awful for anyone who worked above the law at that time. Even the Zodiac was a complete mess for a while!”

“Ah, I remember that,” snorted Buta, going to the little fridge to get a beer. “To avoid another incident like that one, the Citadel was created so as to properly separate the two worlds, so to speak. It was a nightmare to deal with, I tell you! I had terrible migraines until this was all swept under the rug.”

“That’s just because you’re old, Buta,” replied flatly Ame.

“Oi!”

“Well, she’s not wrong,” mused Saru, before shaking his head. “Anyway, you’re strictly forbidden from entering the Citadel. You’ll be safe in the resort but you can be _certain_ that you’ll be identified as soon as you put a single foot inside.”

“Understood,” she nodded, more seriously. “Though, if I do run into some of those people…”

“If worst comes to worst, use your ring,” he accepted. “We’re always careful to erase all traces of our existence but the Citadel is one of the few places in the world where pretty much everyone knows of us. You can use your ring to get out of trouble if needed, though it’ll expose you as one of our members, so be careful with that.”

“Will do. Though, to be frank, I doubt I’ll even get close to seeing that Citadel,” pointed out the teen. “I mean, what could a bunch of high-school kids want with such a place, really?”

“True. Though, one can never be too careful, right?”

She nodded, conceding the point. Maybe she should bring the katana along this time around?

* * *

.

.

A week before their departure for Okinawa, the students of the E-Class had agreed to meet up on their campus to get some training done and plan their assassination. The trip was the perfect opportunity to kill their teacher and, with the serious disadvantage he’d suffer from (otherwise said, losing nine tentacles), it was possibly the closest they’d ever get to kill him. They needed to plan things carefully if they wanted this to work.

They were now in the back, working with guns. Well, saved for Ame: she was helping some of the students with their knife training.

“Well, well! I see you little brats are working up a good sweat, summer vacation notwithstanding,” mused Irina, laying comfortably on a chair with a fruit punch in her hand.

“You train too, Bitch-sensei,” protested Mimura. “Your gun and knife skills aren’t that much better than ours.”

“Grownups are sneaky,” replied the woman, having gotten used to the name since long, now. “I’ll hitch a ride on your strategy and only take away the best parts.”

“Oh? That’s my Irina.”

“L- Lovro, sir!?”

Ame snorted at that. “I can’t believe you didn’t sense him coming up behind you. Slacking off much, Bitch-sensei?”

“Can it, brat!” Irina however quickly reported her attention on the man. “W- what are you doing here!?”

“He’s here as a special instructor for the summer,” answered Karasuma. “He’ll give us tips on our strategy from a pro’s perspective.”

“Rest one day and your fingers and arms forget about killing,” stated darkly Lovro. Utter rage then took over his expression. “If you don’t want to flunk out, hurry up and get changed!!!”

“Yes, sir!”

Irina was up on her feet and gone in the blink of an eye. Ame blinked a few times, genuinely surprised by how fast the woman was. She knew her English teacher was a pro assassin, but it was easy to forget about her skills with how lazy she acted.

_Though, then again, I guess I can relate to that._

“Thank you for your cooperation,” then said Karasuma, drawing everyone’s attention back to the dark man.

“Making matters worse, I couldn’t contact the assassins who’d shown the most promise,” sighed Lovro.

“Were they scared off, knowing that even the pros had failed?” wondered Karasuma.

“Perhaps. Now, all we can do is leave it up to them.” The pro assassin then took a look around, just as Irina came back in gym clothes. “Now, he’s not here today, is that correct?”

“Yes. He had a trip to the Everest planned, so he’s there now, beating the heat.”

“Good. A confidential strategy is essential for an assassination.”

“Yes, we—Naoki! Stop eavesdropping!” suddenly barked Karasuma.

The girl in question stiffened, before huffing. “How’d you even know I was eavesdropping? I’m training, if you haven’t noticed!”

“As if you couldn’t do both,” retorted her teacher with a slight roll of his eyes. “And one way or another, you’re always eavesdropping. Just get back to work already.”

“Whatever.”

She shot a pointed look at Lovro before fully reporting her attention on her knife training. Now that she had been caught, there was no point in insisting. To be frank, though, it’s not like she really expected anything from listening in on their conversation. She was an info-broker, for God’s sake! Eavesdropping was part of the job, is all—

“… what’s this first part, though? ‘Psych attack’?”

“We’re going to blunt his moves by attacking him psychologically first,” answered instantly Ame.

“Naoki!” barked Karasuma, annoyed.

“What? He asked!” protested Ame. “And you’re talking about the strategy we came up with: there’s nothing secret with that!”

“Ugh, fine,” grunted the man, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Naoki, explain.”

“Well, Korosensei has many weaknesses but they’re so ridiculous it’s hard to exploit them for an actual assassination attempt,” she explained instantly. “For example, he’s easily embarrassed by pretty much anything.”

“Like porn!” piped in Maehara. “He was scavenging for it the other day!”

“First, we’ll corner him with blackmail material and more,” joined Nagisa, reading his notebook.

“We’ll completely destroy his mind before destroying his body!” cheered Ame.

“Hell yeah!”

She and Karma high-fived.

“A brutal assassination method indeed,” sweatdropped Lovro. He then shook his head, gaining back some seriousness. “But the key is that final, killing blow. Pinpoint timing and accurate aim will be crucial.”

“Are you worried about this class’s firepower?” wondered Karasuma.

“Just the opposite. Those two, in particular, are amazing,” admitted the pro, glancing at their best gunners.

“Chiba Ryunosuke. He excels at spatial calculations. As a long-distance sniper, he is second to none,” explained the teacher. “Hayami Rinka has a nice balance of dexterous fingers and kinetic visual acuity. She’s a soldier who’s well equipped to take down a moving target.”

“Neither is very assertive—they’re the professional type; their results do the talking,” understood the assassin. “Hmm. I want them for my own students. The others are at a respectable level as well. Their talents have been identified and nurtured well in such a short time. I see plenty of potential here. Some of it seems quite wasted, though.”

Ame stiffened as the assassin shifted his gaze to her. “Are you still on about that? I told you—“

“Why are you not practicing your shooting?” he asked, his eyes firm and unwavering. “Your aim is close to perfect and you could deal a lot more damage with a gun than with knives.”

“I don’t like guns,” she replied, a little less cheerful. “They’re bad memories for me. Though, why should it matter, really? As you said yourself, everyone here has reached a respectable level as gunners: I doubt little old me will make much of a difference.”

He simply nodded, though if he was agreeing or simply acknowledging her answer, she couldn’t say. Shrugging a little, Ame then returned to her knife training with the others.

They couldn’t afford to waste more time.

* * *

.

.

The training was going well. Everyone had quickly warmed up to Lovro as he offered his professional advice, and the students were all progressing fast. Ame was helping Okuda with her aim when she noticed Nagisa talking with Lovro. Unable to help herself, she silently stepped a little closer, just enough to be in reach. After what, she tuned out the rest of the noises around to focus on the conversation. It didn’t take her long to understand they were talking about the Reaper. Known as the best assassin in the world, he had gained the name of Death itself after many years of silent rampages. He had killed hundreds without ever getting caught and even the Zodiac was wary of him, careful to stay under his radar as much as they could manage.

After all, he was the only person in the entire world they couldn’t even learn the name of.

“—and so I’ll teach you a surefire technique.”

“Surefire?”

“Yes: an instakill move, from this pro assassin to you.”

_A surefire technique? That I gotta see—_

“If you wish to accompany us, I suggest you do not dawdle behind.”

“Gah!” Ame snapped her eyes to Lovro, who was staring at her. “How’d you know?”

He lifted an eyebrow at that. “You may be skilled, but you still have a lot to learn. Saru has yet to teach you many techniques.”

Her eyes went wide at the name.

_How does he know about Saru!?_

She shook her head: now was not the time, not with how many people there were around. So, quickly apologizing to Okuda, she ran to join Lovro and Nagisa. The boy offered her a hesitant smile, which she returned before she turned a colder stare at the assassin.

“I can’t wait to learn then.” _I expect answers._

“This way.” _Later_.

So she followed them. What else could she do, really?


	18. Eighteenth Period: Killing Time

“Are you sure you have everything?”

“Yes, Obaa-san—“

“Your toothbrush? You didn’t forget it, did you?”

“No, I didn’t—“

“What about a few changes of clothes? Underwear? Do you need something for your periods—“

“ _Obaa-san_!”

The old woman chuckled a little at Ame’s reddening cheeks. She then looked at the luggage on the girl’s bed, smiling.

It seemed a little sad, though.

“Your parents would be proud of you,” she then remarked softly. “Of you and the woman you’re growing up to be.”

“O- Obaa-san, where does that even come from?” laughed Ame, a little nervous.

“Ah, ignore this old woman’s rambling,” replied her grandmother, shaking her head. She then glanced at the clock on the wall. “Though, you should probably get going if you don’t want to be late.”

“Right, my ride—“ The loud honk of a car suddenly blasted through the window, making her cringe. “Yeah, nevermind, they’re here.”

She quickly gathered her bags, making sure she wasn’t forgetting anything, before turning to her grandmother and hugging her tightly.

“Obaa-san… As long as you’re proud of me, then the rest doesn’t matter,” she then whispered.

Her grandmother’s grip tightened on her. “I’m _always_ proud of you, Ame.”

Suddenly feeling a little emotional, the girl quickly pulled away and, after kissing the woman on the cheek, she quickly left her room. Waving goodbye to the kids on the way out, she stepped outside, only to find Hana waiting for her.

“Took you long enough!” greeted the red-haired beauty.

“Maa, maa, it’s not like you have better to do,” snorted the teen, jumping in.

“Cheeky brat.”

* * *

.

.

“I see it! I see it!”

At Kaede’s exclamation, Ame tilted her head to get a look at their destination. The island had appeared in the distance and it already looked great, if the green palm trees, the white beach, and the gigantic resort were anything to go by.

“Six hours from Tokyo!”

“The place where we’ll kill Korosensei!”

“At last!”

Ame couldn’t stop the wolfish grin from stretching her lips.

_It’s time to claim that bounty!_

* * *

“Welcome to the Fukuma Resort Hotel! Please, enjoy this tropical juice with our compliments.”

Ame simply nodded, grateful for the fresh drink. It was more than hot outside, after all, and they were allowed to relax and enjoy their trip a little, weren’t they? They had won it fair and square, after all, and the assassination wouldn’t take place until later that night.

“Man, this is the life!” sighed happily Mimura.

“Everything’s just so bright and vibrant!” added Kimura.

“We can go directly to the beach from the hotel, and it seems they have plenty of leisure activities available too,” remarked cheerfully Korosensei.

“We’ll save the you-know-what ‘till after dinner,” informed Muramatsu. “First, let’s have some fun, Korosensei!”

“In groups, like we did on our school trip!” added Yoshida.

“Niryufufufu! I’m all for it. Play hard, kill hard!”

_Oh, poor guy. He has no idea of what’s coming at him._

* * *

.

.

“Are you sure these will work?”

Ame rolled her eyes at Sugaya’s disbelieving tone. “Yes, I am. Look, this equipment is top notch, okay? I mean, as long as you don’t throw it in the water. The waterproof equipment goes to Group 2.”

Group 2 was composed of Sugino, Karma, Nagisa, Rio, and Kaede. They would be the scout team, so to speak: they’d examine the place chosen as the assassination spot from every angle to make sure their plan could be executed without a hitch. That’s why Ame had lent them special equipment that’d allow them to stay underwater for a longer time and take more precise calculations, along with communication means.

“How does it work?” wondered Maehara, looking at the strange earing in wonder.

“Easy. You put it over your ear like this—“ She attached it to the top of her ear, which was quickly dissimulated by her hair. “—and you hide it with your hair. Since it’s the same color tone as your ear, they’ll be even harder to notice.”

“What good will hearing be if we can’t talk?” then pointed out Terasaka.

“Actually, I have a few micro-mikes,” shrugged the teen, pulling out a metallic sheet covered in dots. She popped one of the dots out of the sheet, kind of like a pill. “You stick one of those to the back of your teeth, in the back of your mouth, and it’ll work for five to six hours. After what, you’ll swallow it without even noticing and it’ll be digested in a day and a half.”

“Is that… really safe, though?” sweatdropped Sugino.

“Yes, it is.” She was growing a little impatient, now. “Look, guys, you put me in charge of finding the necessary equipment, to which I agreed. I’d never let you use something if I knew it might hurt you, okay?”

“Ame-san’s right,” then nodded Isogai, stepping forward. “We trusted her with this task and it’s too late to back out now anyway. Though, I suggest only one person per group gets one so that we don’t crowd the com.”

“Good idea,” agreed Ame. “There are five groups, plus me. So, who volunteers?”

* * *

Isogai took the micro-mike for Group 1, Kaede took the one for Group 2, Terasaka took the one for Group 3, Kanzaki took the one for Group 4, and finally Hayami took the one for Group 5. Ame herself wasn’t part of any group, coordinating the preparations with Ritsu’s help.

“Kaede, what’s Group 2’s situation?” the black-haired teen asked.

**“We’re almost done and everything seems fine. Nothing should get in the way of the plan.”**

“Good. Make sure to double check, and don’t forget to get changed afterward, so Korosensei doesn’t get suspicious,” nodded the teen, writing down in her notebook. “Group 1, how’s it going?”

 **“Korosensei just left with Group 3, he doesn’t seem suspicious,”** answered Isogai. **“… Also, Maehara wonders, and I quote: ‘where the hell did you get this equipment? It’s awesome!’—again, his words. Though I gotta say, I’m curious myself.”**

“The wonders you can find on the internet,” she simply replied, amused.

**“… Maehara says that’s not an answer.”**

“Well that’s the one you’re getting!” she chuckled. “Now get your heads back in the game, your job’s not done yet. You need to go prep the chapel while Korosensei can’t see you.”

**“Right on it.”**

“Oh, wait! Now that I think about it…” Ame quickly checked over her notes. “Right. You guys noticed how seasick Korosensei got, right? Isogai-kun, can you go and check if there’s any way we can rent out the shipboard restaurant instead of the one on the beach? It might help throw him off his rhythm some more.”

**“That’s a great idea! I’ll get to it right away.”**

“Good. Okay, what about you, Group 5?” she pursued, writing some more things down.

 **“We left as soon as you gave the signal and we are now looking for our sniper spots,”** answered calmly Hayami. **“I believe Chiba might have found his.”**

“Good, that’s good. Be careful to leave your scent around,” reminded the black-haired girl.

**“Copy that.”**

“Okay, so… Kanzaki, where are you guys?”

**“We’re at the store looking over the equipment. It’s all there already!”**

“That’s great! It arrived earlier than expected…” Ame jotted it down. “Terasaka, don’t answer but listen: as soon as Korosensei’s done with your group, go join Group 4 to help them move the equipment. The equipment wasn’t supposed to be ready until later but since Korosensei will be occupied with Group 5, we’ll use that to our advantage: you’ll have more time than planned to set everything up, but you’ll need to be subtle, okay? Grunt if you got it.”

After a few seconds, he grunted.

Satisfied, Ame looked back at her notes. Their plan had been set in motion as soon as they left the city, using every opportunity they got to divert Korosensei’s attention. Since he already knew they were planning on assassinating him, getting him by surprise was impossible. However, they could still throw him off and, with how they had planned things, Ame honestly believed they had a chance at killing him.

_If everything goes well and he’s still alive even after all this work… then I honestly don’t know what more we can do._

“Aa? The beach is completely deserted!” Irina had just arrived, and it took her a few seconds to spot Ame. “Well, saved for you. Where’s everyone else?”

“Working,” answered briefly the girl, narrowing her eyes at her notes. _Maybe it’ll be a little risky to move before dark… No, we’ll set up the gear later, as planned_. “Terasaka, forget about the last instructions. It’s too risky and, if you’re seen, it’s as good as over. Just try to keep Korosensei busy a while longer, to give Group 5 some more time to set up.”

**“Ah? Just make up your mind already—no, stop it, damn octopus! I wasn’t talking to—ugh, forget it.”**

Irina lifted an eyebrow at her. “Terasaka? You’re talking to him live?”

“Everyone’s connected right now,” confirmed the teen, flipping through the pages of her notebook. “We’re—hey! Give it back!”

The pro assassin completely ignored her, though, reading through her notes with eyes sharpened by experience. After a few more seconds, she glanced at the girl.

“Who taught you to write in codes?”

Ame clicked her tongue in annoyance. “We’re back to that, really? Look, I’ve got my secrets just as much as anyone else. Just leave it be already.”

After a few seconds, the woman scoffed and threw the notebook back. The teen easily caught it, glad her teacher had decided to forget about it.

_Red Eye’s right, though. I totally lost the habit of hiding what I can do and what I know. If I get too complacent, it’ll get me in trouble._

_Well, I doubt it could be worse than my name on the Dark List, but still._

“The last guest just left,” suddenly announced Karasuma, showing up from nowhere. “The E-Class has rented out the hotel and its environs. This assassination…” He looked down at the papers in his hands. “It’s the biggest one yet. So far, it’s gone off without a hitch, but…”

“You’re worried something might go wrong?” easily guessed Ame, lying back on the chair with her arms crossed behind her head. “Understandable. There’s nothing more we can do, though. Every group is accomplishing its part of the job and as of now, everything’s going smoothly.”

“I saw the documents,” huffed Irina, annoyed Karasuma hadn’t even glanced at her sexy swimsuit. “A complex plan like this should go off the rails once or twice. Do I look like I’m just having fun? No, I’m gunning for my share of the spoils. I’ll have my chance when the brats’ plan goes awry—and I won’t let it get away.”

“You’ll fail,” replied flatly Ame.

“Aa!? You little—“

“The chances of Korosensei living long enough to see tomorrow’s morning are getting lower and lower each passing hour,” sighed the girl, shaking off the woman’s rant. “To be honest, there’s nothing left to do. Now, we can just wait, and hope it’ll work out.” She then looked back at Karasuma. “Any other worries you feel like sharing?”

“Yes. Where did you get this kind of communication tech?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “I saw you give out the micro-mikes and the ear-coms earlier. This isn’t the kind of technology you can get just by ordering it online.”

“Depends from _where_ you’re ordering it online,” she pointed out, amused. “Though, does it really matter? I mean, it gets the job done, doesn’t it?”

“One day I’ll make you spill, Naoki, and you better have a good explanation,” he retorted.

He was only half-serious about it, though. After all, he had long since given up on unraveling the walking mystery that was Naoki Ame.

* * *

.

.

“Phew! What fun that was! No wonder I’m so tan!”

Am sweatdropped at that. “You’re not tan, Korosensei—you’re burnt to a crisp.”

“Even his teeth are tan,” mused Kimura.

“So much for reading his expressions,” remarked Okano.

“Well, Korosensei, after dinner comes the assassination,” announced Isogai.

“Yes, yes! But first, the shipboard restaurant!”

All excited, their teacher quickly headed away, taking the lead. The rest of the students could only sigh. Hadn’t he had enough excitement for one day already?

“To think we had to pretend we had fun while we got everything ready,” muttered Terasaka.

“Though, it did go rather smoothly, uh?” pointed out Kaede, a tad amazed. “We always knew where Korosensei was—at all times! And we got everything ready in no time!”

“I guess it’s thanks to Ame and Ritsu’s awesome coordinating!” grinned Rio, slinging an arm around her friend’s neck. She started rubbing her fist against her head. “So cool, Ame!”

“Gah, knock it off, Rio!” protested the teen, struggling to get away.

The blonde simply laughed.

* * *

.

.

“Here we are, at the shipboard restaurant we’ve rented out. Let’s slowly savor our meal as we take in the night sea,” suggested Isogai, falling back into his waiter persona.

“I get it…” chuckled Korosensei. “First you’ll get me good and seasick to weaken my capabilities, eh?”

“Of course,” confirmed confidently the class representative. “That’s assassination 101.”

“You’re so right.” Korosensei didn’t seem all that worried, though. “But will it really work that well? Seasickness is no match for a teacher who’s all pumped up anticipating a wonderful assassination—“

“You’re too dark!” suddenly snapped all the students, unable to read his expression.

_I bet his face is covered in green stripes right now, but I can’t see a damn thing!_

“… Am I really that dark?”

“Forget your expression—we can’t even tell front from back!” replied Rio, annoyed.

“It’s too confusing. Do something, would you?” added Takaoka.

“Niryufufufu! Have you forgotten, students? I can molt and, in doing so, shed this dark skin!” He moved too fast for the human eye to follow and, next thing everyone knew, his skin was back to its normal yellow—well, as normal as yellow skin could be. “There! Back to normal.”

“Oh! That’s your once-monthly molt!” gasped Fuwa.

“Just another of its uses!” replied Korosensei, all proud of himself. “I tend to save it for particularly sticky situations, but—“ He suddenly stiffened. “GAH! WHAT DID I DO!?”

Ame facepalmed at that. How much more of an idiot could he be? He had just shed his once-monthly ace without even thinking about it twice!

_To think this wasn’t even part of the plan…_

But hey, who were they to look at a gifted horse in the mouth?

* * *

.

.

“All right, Korosensei. It’s after dinner!” announced Maehara.

“Here’s where we’re meeting,” added Sugaya. “A floating chapel, away from the hotel.”

Ame could only grin as they all stepped inside, spreading in the little cabin, while Korosensei was invited to take a seat before the television placed at the front.

“This is going to be a fun assassination!” exclaimed Mimura.

“First, we’ll start with a movie,” informed Okajima, obviously impatient to get started.

“Your intelligence, inventiveness, and your earnest efforts…” Korosensei’s eternal grin widened. “That’s what I most look forward to. I expect a no-holds-barred assassination! Now, then… What on Earth are you going to do?”

“First, you’ll be enjoying a video Mimura put together,” answered Isogai. “Then, the eight top-testers will destroy nine of your tentacles. That’ll be the signal for us all to jump in and begin the assassination. Does that sound all right, Korosensei?”

“More than all right,” nodded their teacher, apparently eager to begin.

“Thanks for setting this up, Mimura,” thanked Sugaya, patting the boy’s shoulder.

“Ah, it was hard work—I was editing all through dinner!” chuckled the boy.

“Very well. Shall we get started?” suggested their teacher, sitting more comfortably. “No need to hold back. Come right at me!”

“Then here we go, Korosensei,” warned Ame.

She then turned off the light. Almost instantly, the video started. The black-haired girl bit back a knowing grin as the students started discreetly moving while their teacher paid attention to the little movie Mimura had worked on. It had been Karma’s idea, no surprise about it, and it was probably the only part of the plan that all of them were a hundred-percent certain would work.

_The plan is in motion. In exactly one hour and four minutes, we’ll move in._

_Now… now, we can only wait._

* * *

_One hour and four minutes later_

“I- I’m dead… I’m already dead…”

Ame snorted, turning the lights back on. “You’re really pathetic, you know that?”

“For all that to be out in the open… I can’t go on living…”

 _Well, he asked us not to hold back, but maybe it_ was _a little harsh after all,_ she sweatdropped internally.

“Now, did you happen to notice anything while you sat through our top-secret video, Korosensei?” asked gingerly Rio.

Ame pulled out her knives, exchanging eager grins with the other seven students in charge of getting rid of the tentacles. At the same moment, Korosensei somehow managed to snap out of his shock to finally notice the water that had slowly been filling the chapel since the beginning of the video. Thanks to the natural high tide, he couldn’t sense it until it was too late.

“Well, someone must have shortened the supports pilings of the chapel,” taunted Terasaka.

“Boat-sick, shamed, and now waterlogged…” resumed Rio, grinning. “You’ve slowed down quite a bit, haven’t you?”

All of the students aimed their guns at once. Already prepared, Ame twirled one of her knives, her fingers practically aching to throw them.

_A few seconds more…_

“And let’s not forget you shed your monthly-molt,” the black-haired teen added, taking her stance. “It’s time to keep your promise, Korosensei. No dodging~!”

That was the magic words for Ritsu, who instantly gave the signal for the beginning of the operation. Although the micro-mikes no longer worked saved for Ame’s, since she put another one earlier, they were all still connected through the small earrings.

“Commence operation,” ordered Isogai. “Fire!”

All of the students instantly fired on their respective tentacles, Ame throwing her two knives along and effectively destroying two of them. Korosensei flinched but didn’t dodge, true to his word, as they knew he’d be.

**“5 seconds elapsed.”**

That was the signal for the second team to move in. Karma, Kaede, Takebayashi, and Hara instantly fired up their engines while the students inside the chapel backed away to take cover. A moment later, the chapel fell apart thanks to the jet-skis pulling on its walls—leaving Korosensei wide in the open. He instantly lost his composure at the sudden change of environment, panic settling in.

**“35 seconds elapsed.”**

A moment later, the rest of the students of the E-Class suddenly burst out of the water, flying above the ocean using the fly-boards Ame had ordered online a few days earlier. They quickly linked their arms together, forming an inescapable cage around Korosensei and thus cutting off any possible escape route.

**“53 seconds elapsed.”**

The top-testers, saved for Ame, instantly jumped in on the fun, running around to surround him. Ritsu’s box-body came out of the water and took aim with her guns. At once, they started firing. Instead of aiming for their teacher, though, they aimed at each other’s bullets. It only confused him even more, slowing down his reaction time a bit more.

**“56 seconds elapsed.”**

Ame threw her knives at his “feet”, instantly drawing his attention. That was the opening Hayami and Chiba were waiting for. The dummies left on the shore had done their job at distracting Korosensei and with the confusion caused by the hail of bullets, the hydraulic cage cutting off his route and the opening Ame now provided them with, they had the perfect shots.

They fired in less than a second.

**“Game over!”**

A gigantic explosion followed.

Not expecting such a reaction, Ame didn’t move in time and got blasted away along with the rest of the students. Her body hit the body somewhat harshly, but the blow wasn’t enough to knock her out and she easily swam back up. Her head broke the surface, her ears ringing a little and the breath completely knocked out of her. It took her a few seconds to understand what exactly had just happened as she noticed her classmates in much a similar state and the completely destroyed chapel.

“Did we- did we get him?” she asked, coughing a little.

“Stay alert!” barked Karasuma, running up the dock. “He can regenerate! Isogai, Kataoka: change of plans. Watch the water!”

“Y- yes sir!”

Ame wouldn’t be able to fight in the water, that much she knew. She made a face when realizing she had lost most of her knives but didn’t ponder on it, simply swimming back to the dock. As soon as she climbed on, though, Kaede’s cry got everyone’s attention.

“Look! Over there!”

Ame narrowed her eyes at the indicated spot. It was quite far and it was getting dark, but she could still see loads of bubbles breaking the surface of the water.

_This can’t be… He had nowhere to run! This was the perfect assassination plan! He can’t have survived that—_

From the water suddenly burst… a round sphere with Korosensei’s head in it.

_… wait, what?_

“Niryufufufu!” That was his laugh. Despite clearly lacking a body… their teacher was still very much alive. “My trump card of all trump cards: my perfect defense form! The exterior is crystallized high-density condensed energy. Otherwise said, the energy left over upon shrinking my body down hardens in a shell around it. In this form, I’m absolutely invincible!”

“No way… If you always stay in that form, we can never kill you!” protested Yada.

“If only that were the case,” replied the octopus, amused. “This energy crystal will decay in about a day and, the moment it does, my body will re-inflate, absorbing energy and returning to its usual form. On the other hand, for the approximately one day until this crystal decays, I can’t move an inch. That brings with it certain risks. What I’m most afraid of is being placed into a high-speed rocket during that time and discarded in the far reaches of outer space… But I’ve thoroughly studied that eventuality. Nowhere in the world is there a rocket capable of making that flight within 24 hours.”

There was a moment of silence until Nagisa broke it. “So… we failed…?”

“Invincible my _ass_!” barked Terasaka, suddenly picking up the sphere in which was trapped their teacher. “Something like this has gotta be breakable somehow!”

He started hitting it with a wrench, but to no avail.

“I see!” exclaimed Karma, back on the dock and standing next to Ame. “Pass!”

Terasaka complied begrudgingly; annoyed he couldn’t even leave a dent. Karma grinned evilly as he caught Korosensei and, without wasting a moment, he showed him his phone—on which was a picture of their teacher reading porn magazines. As the octopus started freaking out, the other students could only sigh in defeat. After all of their hard work, they still couldn’t succeed and their assassination had failed miserably.

“Ah… ah ah ah…”

They all looked up in confusion. Who was laughing—

“Ahahahahaha!” All eyes snapped to Ame as the girl burst in laughter, holding her stomach. “This- this was awesome!”

 _She snapped!_ All the students thought, nervous sweats rolling down their foreheads.

“A- Ame… are you… okay?” asked Rio, a little worried.

“Okay?” Ame jumped to her feet, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m more than okay! Don’t you even realize what we’ve done? We’ve managed to push Korosensei to his limit—something no one else has managed so far! We forced him to use his ultimate trump card and we’ve gotten farther than any other assassin ever has! It’s simply amazing! It’s—“ She suddenly paused, clearly confused. “—I have no idea of what I’m saying. Why am I so cheerful?”

 _She really snapped_ , cringed internally her classmates.

Most of it was the adrenaline talking, but Ame believed every word of it. Contrarily to what she was expecting, their failure didn’t taste bitter. In fact, it didn’t feel like a failure at all. Sure, he was still alive, but they still got one step closer and uncovered one of his greatest aces. That had to count for something, right? Their hard work had paid off, and she couldn’t be happier.

“Seeing you so positive is a little freaky,” snorted Rio, shaking her head. “But I guess you have a point.”

At that, the tension in the air lessened. Ame had a good point and it did make them feel a little better about the whole affair and, soon enough, the fire was back in their eyes.

 _We’ll get him next time_! They all swore internally.

“We’ll disperse for now, students,” then announced Karasuma, taking hold of Korosensei. “The top brass and I will discuss how to deal with this one.”

“Going to throw me in a pool full of anti-me material?” Korosensei laughed as the man placed him in a plastic bag. “It won’t work. A portion of my energy would explode; like before, the blast would send everything nearby flying. But… you should be proud. As Naoki-san so wisely said, even the armies of the world couldn’t get this far with me. It all comes down to the magnificence of your plan.”

The praises lifted everyone’s spirits a little more but, despite their determination slowly growing again, it was easy to tell everyone was still very much disappointed at how things had turned out. Many also seemed unusually exhausted, though it was probably the backlash of all their hard work. So, it was with a weight on their shoulders that the students of the E-Class made their way back to the hotel.

* * *

_._

_._

_Why am I so cheerful? I just can’t stop grinning…_ It didn’t take long for Ame to notice that the adrenaline shouldn’t last this long or affect her this much and that something was actually wrong with her. _I remember Hana mentioning this as a light symptom of some poisons. I’ve built up an immunity to most but, if I ingested too much without noticing, I can still be affected in some way. Could an assassin have left the Citadel and gone after me? But when? I was with everyone the entire day!_

Such a state could greatly dull her senses and mess with her head, too. It felt as if energy was buzzing through her entire body and she could barely stay in place. She knew that, if trouble arose, she’d get reckless.

_What’s going on with me? I have no control whatsoever!_

Around her, her fellow students were too exhausted, both mentally and physically, to really notice her state. Most were slumped over their table, their heads hidden between their arms, and all the students were deadly silent, reflecting on the failed assassination.

“Ritsu?” Ame snapped her eyes to Chiba. “You recorded the attempt, right?”

“Yes: all of the assassination, with a high-speed camera whenever possible,” confirmed the purple-haired program.

“I knew the second I fired that I’d missed,” admitted the boy, lowering his head. “That my bullet couldn’t kill him.”

“I can’t say for sure,” replied Ritsu, going over some calculations. “The exact time it took him to move into that form is unclear. However, if your shot had been 0.5 seconds faster, or if Hayami-san’s had been 30 centimeters closer, you would have had a 50 percent chance of killing him before he noticed.”

“… I was so confident. I mean, in rehearsal, we practiced firing from even less stable spot—and I didn’t miss. But when the time came, my fingers stiffened and my vision narrowed.”

“Same here,” nodded curtly Hayami.

“The pressure of absolutely not being allowed to miss. That crucial now-or-never moment…”

“To think it’d be this different from practice…” muttered the female sniper.

Chiba simply gritted his teeth.

“It’s not your fault.” They lifted their heads in surprise as Ame approached their table, a serious expression over her face. She reigned in her unusual giddiness, but couldn’t stop her mouth from moving. “It’s no one’s fault. The plan failed, and that’s that. I understand it’s easy to blame yourselves for what happened, but none of us think you’re at fault. We worked hard, and you should be proud of the result. We did something amazing tonight, and you guys are the only people who ever got so close to killing him—in the entire world, including the pros.” She turned to the rest of the group, crossing her arms over her chest. “This is just a minor set-back. We still have half of the school year left, and now? Now, we know what to expect, we learned to use our strengths, and we learned of our weaknesses. Next time, we’ll be more prepared. Next time, we _will_ kill him. Got it?”

“Ugh, I don’t understand how you can be so energetic…” groaned Maehara, looking a little red in the face. “I’m just so _exhausted_!”

“Let’s head back to our room and rest,” added Mimura in a drowsy voice. “I really don’t feel like doing anything…”

“What? One lousy miss and you lose all your oomph?” snapped back Terasaka, annoyed. “We did what we were supposed to do, so tomorrow we can just enjoy ourselves!”

Ame narrowed her eyes a little at that, letting her eyes wander across the plaza. More or less half of the students seemed completely out of it or extremely tired. Some were sweating heavily, their faces red and their eyes almost closing by themselves. The other half of the class seemed completely fine, though, just suffering from low morale.

_There’s no way…_

“Ooh, yeah! Tomorrow I get to take in some swim-suited beauties for sure!” dreamed Okajima.

_He looks… almost delirious…!_

_No. No way. This can’t be. There’s just no way—_

“Ame, can I just… lean on you for a bit…” Rio was swaying a little in place. “I just… just need…”

“Rio!”

A second later, the blonde collapsed. Easily catching her, Ame’s eyes widened when realizing how bad of a shape she was in.

“I- I want to go back to my room and change…” Her friend offered a tentative smile, but it didn’t reassure her in the least. “But I can’t… can’t seem to move…”

“You’re burning up!” gasped the black-haired girl, feeling the heat from the girl’s forehead without even touching it. “Crap!”

“Okajima-kun!” suddenly exclaimed Nagisa.

Ame felt her heart miss a beat as Okajima collapsed, blood spurting out of his nose. It wasn’t a perverted nosebleed, though—there was too much blood for that. It didn’t take much longer for the rest of the exhausted students to collapse.

_This is bad this is bad this is bad this is bad bad bad bad—_

“Oi! What’s happening here?” exclaimed Karasuma, suddenly stepping outside.

“Poison,” murmured Ame, though it really was as if she had just yelled it for the world to hear considering the heavy silence. “It’s poison.”

Karasuma narrowed his eyes at her. “What?”

“T- there’s no time!” She turned to the waitress, worried. “Ma’am, where’s the hospital on this island?”

“W- well, it’s just a small island…” stuttered out the woman, startled. “T- there isn’t one—“

“What? How can there _not_ be a hospital!?” snapped the teen, her hands practically shaking with worry and pent up energy. “This is an isolated island and da nearest city is six hours from here! What kind of idiot builds a resort here without thinkin’ of buildin’ a small hospital in case of emergencies like this!?”

“Naoki, enough!” snapped Karasuma, forcing her away from the terrified waitress. “What do you mean by poison?”

“The symptoms. The timing. The people affected,” she resumed, breathing in and out quickly to clear her mind. “Everything doesn’t add up. The class was targeted!”

Understanding dawned on him. “You got infected?”

“I’ve built up an immunity to poison ages ago,” she reminded him, shaking her head. “I mean, I did ingest it one way or the other, but it won’t affect me in the same way because of my immunity. I’ll be fine, but the others—“

A ringing sound suddenly echoed, cutting her off. Both startled at that before Karasuma pulled out his phone. His eyes widened when he realized it was an unknown number. After a moment of hesitation, though, he answered.

“Yes?”

**“Hey, teach. Your precious students seem to be in a really bad way.”**

“Wha—who’s this!?” snapped the man.

Ame was simply listening, using her ear-com to tune in on the conversation. She couldn’t recognize the voice but the tone was inhuman: the person talking was modifying their real voice. That heightened the chances that it was someone they would surely be able to recognize on the spot if they heard their actual voice.

_But who?_

**“Who I am doesn’t matter. Those brats aren’t the only ones going after that marked man.”**

“You mean you did this?”

Ritsu had connected everyone’s phones to the ongoing conversation, thus allowing the rest of the students to follow.

Things weren’t looking so bright, though.

 **“Eh, eh, eh, how observant. It’s an artificial virus. Once you’re infected, it’s all over. The incubation period and initial symptoms vary, but after a week, the body’s cells will be shredded, ending in… death.”** Ame’s eyes widened in horror. **“There’s only one remedy, likewise an original concoction; unfortunately, I’m the only one who has it. It’s too much of a bother to give it to you, so you’d better come to get it directly. You see, there’s a hotel atop this island’s mountain. And bring me the one with the bounty.”**

 _So that assassin isn’t after me,_ understood Ame. _They’re aiming for Korosensei, using us and his current state against him._

 **“Come up to the top floor in the next hour. Though, teach, you seem pretty tough. Dangerous, even. So send your shortest student still standing, a boy. And send the girl with the bounty, too.”** _Crap, talked too fast!_ **“We’ll talk at the front desk here. Follow the rules and we’ll swap the target for the remedy, and that’ll be that. But contact any outsider or be even a little late and the remedy will be destroyed.”**

Ame paled, looking around. The shortest boy student still standing was Nagisa, and she couldn’t help but feel the assassin was a little _too_ specific. It only seemed to indicate it truly was someone they had met before, or who at least knew of them.

**“I’ve got to thank you for immobilizing him like that, though. Looks like the gods are on our side.”**

On which the call was cut and the reality of the situation suddenly dawned on everyone. As of now, the game had reached a whole new level, with a third party happily joining the fray and obviously intending on making his own rules.


	19. Nineteenth Period: Fighting Time PART 1

The poisoned students were quickly laid down on futons that had been brought outside by the personnel of the hotel. Ame had spent the last three minutes checking up on each of them, gathering as much data as she could manage with the help of Ritsu. Once she was done, she pulled out her phone, and Hana answered after the second ring.

**“Ame, what—“**

“Half of my class has just been poisoned,” cut sharply the teen, going straight to business. “I already sent you all of the data I could gather and Ritsu will answer any other questions. We’ll be going after the remedy, but do you think you can figure out how to make it? I’m afraid things might not go as planned.”

**“I’ll do what I can, Ame, but it’ll be hard to make an antidote without even knowing what poison I’m working against. It might take a while.”**

“The one responsible for this said they had one week left,” retorted the girl. “You’ll have to work fast.”

**“I’ll get right to it, but I can’t promise anything. And Ame? Don’t do anything reckless.”**

“… I can’t promise anything.”

She hung up before the woman could reply, before going over to Karasuma, who had just gestured for her to join him.

“My contact will be working on a remedy,” she announced as soon as she reached him. “But I don’t think they’ll manage. We don’t have enough information nor enough time. The best course of action to take is to follow the deal for now and try to get our hands on the original antidote.”

“And playing the government card is useless,” he sighed, rubbing his temples. “The hotel where that assassin is located simply replies with claims of privacy protection.”

“Well, obviously,” she replied, annoyed at how they were wasting time. “This is the _Citadel_ —they won’t let government agents run wild in such a place.”

“How do you even—“

“Do you _really_ think it’s the time to ask? _Now_!?”

“Citadel?” echoed Nagisa, confused.

“… A noted site for illegal negotiations,” clarified the man, running a hand through his hair. “A remote island is the perfect location for such activities. Even the police force and other forms of legal authorities have no power here.”

“Clearly they’re not going to cooperate with us,” grunted Karma.

“What are we gonna do!?” Yoshida was straight-out panicking. “At this rate, a lot of us will die! Damn it, we didn’t come here to _be_ killed!”

“None of us will die or be killed!” snapped Ame, harshly hitting him over the head to knock some sense back into him. “Get your shit together! Isn’t the answer simple? We know where our target is and we know what’s on the line. What are we still doing here, then?”

“W- wait!” protested Fuwa. “Didn’t he say to only send you and Nagisa?”

“It’s too dicey to do what he says,” replied Terasaka, shaking a little. “Send the smaller guy and the girl with a target on her back? We’d be basically offering him hostages! First off, I’m pissed at anyone who would even do this kinda thing. No one lays a finger on my cohorts!”

“You can say ‘friends’ you tsundere,” replied flatly Ame.

“Shut it! And I say we ignore his demands! Let’s get everyone to a Tokyo hospital!”

“I’m opposed.” Much to everyone’s surprise, it was Takebayashi who stepped up. “If it really is an unknown artificial virus, even the biggest hospitals won’t have the antivirals to stop it. The time wasted in bringing in the sick could hurt them more.” He kneeled next to Hazama and Muramatsu, pulling out some ice from the bucket he had just brought. “We’ll work on treating the symptoms for now—you’d better hurry to the trade-off spot.”

“Takebayashi…” muttered Terasaka, calming down.

“There’s no need to worry,” replied Ame, grabbing her jacket. “I’ll be going on my own to retrieve the remedy.”

“What? That’s crazy!” instantly protested Yoshida.

“Ame, that’s suicide!” added Fuwa, worry clearly etched on her features.

“It’s not like I’m going to fight the guy!” she retorted, already heading for the door. “I can easily sneak inside the Citadel, get the remedy, and come back here. I still have a lot of equipment left in my room, and—“

“No.”

“Karasuma-sensei!” gasped Ame, turning to face him. “You _know_ I can do it—“

“In case you’ve forgotten, you’re _also_ a target,” he replied, flicking her forehead. She rubbed the sore spot with a huff. “Plus, you’ve admitted to having ingested that virus too. It’s far too dangerous for you to go—“

“There is a way.”

At Korosensei’s voice, everyone reported their attention to him. At the same time, Ritsu appeared on all of their screens.

“Korosensei? All set!” she exclaimed cheerfully.

“Ah, it looks like Ritsu’s completed the prep work I asked her to do. Okay, everyone! I need all of the healthy students to come here! Also… wear something you can get dirty.”

Ame frowned a little at that, confused. What did he ask Ritsu to do? She, however, understood that Korosensei was sending them all to deal with the situation and, in a way, she could see why: they might be teenagers, but they were still undergoing some serious training even the pros would be jealous of.

 _I can’t get ahead of myself. Going on my own is exactly the last thing I should do,_ she managed to rationalize through the haze clouding her mind. _Not only was I strictly forbidden from stepping foot inside the Citadel, but I’m also kind-of high right now, and having people with me is the only way I won’t grow blindsided._

“Come on, girls!” she called to those still able to stand. “We’re gonna gear up.”

“Gear up…?” echoed Okano, confused.

Ame simply nodded, gesturing for them to follow. After a moment of hesitation, the girls realized they couldn’t afford to waste any more time and quickly followed her while the rest of the boys started getting ready to leave.

* * *

When Ame said “gear up”, she meant it. She grabbed every single piece of equipment she could get her hands on, and all of the weapons she had brought were either hidden on her body, stuffed in her noise-absorbing bag, or handed to one of the girls. She had insisted on them carrying a real knife each and, although they were uncomfortable with the idea of wielding a real weapon, they understood that Ame was serious: the place they were going to was more dangerous than it let on, and they needed to be ready for _anything_.

After what, they joined the boys and their teachers downstairs and climbed in the three vans that had been placed at their disposal. After exactly eight minutes, Korosensei made them stop, just at the foot of the mountain on top of which proudly loomed the Citadel. The students got out, gaping at the sheer distance between where they were standing and the very top, where they were supposed to go.

“It’s so high…” murmured Kimura.

At the same moment, they received a signal from Ritsu. All pulled out their phones, wondering what she wanted to tell them.

“I infiltrated the hotel’s computers and got schematics of the interior—complete with guard locations,” she informed proudly. A virtual picture of the Citadel appeared on their screens. “A large number of guards are stationed at and around the main entrance. It’s not possible to enter the hotel without going past the front desk. However, there is an entryway on this side, atop the ledge. The terrain is impassable, and there are no guards posted there.”

At that, all looked back at the cliff. It was pretty high and there was no way to safely climb that thing… Ame was already calculating her next move, though. It wouldn’t be the first time she climbed this type of wall and, while it’d take more time than they could afford to lose, it was their only way in—their only option.

“If you don’t want the enemy to get his way, there’s just one thing to do!” exclaimed Korosensei, still held by Karasuma in a plastic bag. “Not counting the ten patients and the two left behind to care for them, all capable students must sneak in from here, get the jump on the guys at the top, and steal that remedy!”

“It’s too dangerous!” instantly protested Karasuma. “The ease with which he threatened us indicates we’re up against a real pro—“

“Yes. Perhaps it would be wisest simply to hand me over,” mused the octopus. The agent instantly stiffened at the suggestion. “What do you think? It’s up to all of you.”

“But… this is…”

“It’s too hard!”

“They’ll plummet to their deaths before they reach the hotel,” warned Irina.

Ame was more or less ignoring them, though, having already drawn a potential route up the cliff in her head. She might be growing affected by the poison, but she could still think properly for now, and she’d put that to good use. Glancing back at her classmates, she could tell they were all frozen in place face to face with this challenge, and she truly couldn’t blame them for it. After all… one wrong move, and it was over.

However, she never was the type to back down from a challenge.

“Ne, Ame?”

“What?”

She tilted her head at Karma, who simply grinned. “Race you to the top?”

She blinked a few times, before grinning back. They bumped their fists together, before pouncing forward, startling those around. Instantly finding the good spots to hold on to, Ame quickly climbed up the rocky wall, only stopping once she was a few meters above the ground. She looked to her left, exchanging a grin with Karma before the red-haired boy pointed at something behind her. Blinking a few times, she looked to her right… before almost falling in surprise as she found none other than Isogai, standing right next to her.

_I didn’t sense him!?_

“Well, I think that’s the first time I managed to startle you,” he laughed lightly. “But one way or another, if the ledge is the problem, that part’s a piece of cake!”

“Especially compared to our usual training!” added Okano, quickly following them.

“Right?” agreed Hayami.

Ame’s grin simply widened as, very quickly, the rest of her classmates started climbing with ease. If at first frozen with terror, they had gotten over it in the blink of an eye, easily realizing that it wasn’t as bad as it looked—or at least, not for them.

“But we haven’t practiced fighting an unknown foe in an unknown hotel, so, Karasuma-sensei…” Isogai smiled at the man’s way. “It won’t be easy, but could you be our commander?”

“We’ll make that jerk pay for playing with us!” exclaimed Terasaka.

“As you can see, they’re no ordinary students,” mused Korosensei, obviously proud of how they took the initiative. “You have a sixteen-member special forces unit at your command.”

“Sixteen?” repeated Irina, confused.

“Don’t forget about me!” exclaimed cheerfully Ritsu.

“Now, there’s not much time,” pressed the trapped teacher. “What do you answer to their determination, Karasuma-sensei?”

“… Attention!” barked the man, stiffening his posture. He wasn’t talking to them as a teacher to his students, but as a commander to his soldiers. “Our objective is the top floor of the hotel at the summit! Our mission will shift from a stealth infiltration to a surprise attack! We’ll use the same hand-signals and link-ups from training. The only difference is our target! You have three minutes to memorize the map. We begin at 2150!”

“Yes, sir!”

* * *

_Thirty-seven minutes left_

Ame was already at the top of the mountain when Okano finally reached the end of the climb. The girl had been waiting for the last five minutes or so, taking in the Citadel and discussing strategies with Ritsu. She _had_ thought of going in alone—more than once!-, but she knew she wouldn’t stand long on her own. Breaking in and stealing stuff was what she had been trained for, but the Citadel was another matter entirely. Plus, the utter lack of information they had about their target and the obvious advantage he had over them put her on edge. Not only were they on borrowed time, but they didn’t even know what kind of danger to expect!

_I need to stay calm and think things through. This virus is messing with my head and if I get too carried away, it’ll only blow our chances of success._

To be honest, she was also worried about the team. It was the first time she went on a mission as Ame, and not as Kitsune. It was also the first mission in which she didn’t have the backup of the Zodiac, and the first mission in which she worked with other people.

It was both thrilling and terrifying.

“Eh? As expected, you’re already here, Ame-san,” grunted Isogai, pulling himself over the edge.

“I’m scouting the perimeter,” she replied, narrowing her eyes at the slight movement she could see in the trees farther away. “Stay low. There are guards everywhere.”

He nodded in understanding and joined her and Okano, taking cover behind the small fence. Then, one after the other, the rest of the students joined them, until everyone was finally at the top. Once they were all gathered once more, Karasuma pulled out his phone.

“Ritsu, run a final check of our invasion route,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir. Displaying interior map.” She went through some calculations, before beaming. “Final check: we can’t use the elevators; they require a pass-card for every floor. We’ll have to take the stairs, but they’re scattered throughout the hotel, so we’ll have to cover quite a distance on foot.”

“It’s like a TV station,” remarked quietly Chiba.

“What do you mean?” wondered Kaede.

“Apparently they have complex layouts to prevent a terrorist takeover,” he answered.

“In this case, though, it’s the best way to protect their unsavory clients,” replied Ame, already fearing the earful she’d surely get from Saru once she got back home. “Not only is it basically impossible for the government to infiltrate, but it also ensures that no one can do what we’re about to do. There’s a reason why it’s called the Citadel, after all: it’s supposedly impregnable. It was built this way to ensure the safety and anonymity of their clients, who pay big so they can have a safe haven like this one to conduct their illegal activities.”

“You… sure know a lot about this, don’t you?” sweatdropped Sugaya.

“I have my ways,” she shrugged, before looking at their commander. “Karasuma-sensei, what do we do?”

“We move in,” he simply ordered.

“Unlocking side entrance,” announced Ritsu.

Careful to keep a low profile so as not to be seen by any wandering guard, the E-Class quickly moved toward the mentioned door. Karasuma opened it, making sure everyone entered before closing it behind him. Honestly, the last thing he wanted was for a student to be accidentally left behind—they had enough problems as it was.

Inside, though, things only seemed to get worse.

“There are more guards than I expected,” cursed the government agent.

“It’d be too difficult for us all to get past them,” pointed out Nagisa.

Karasuma was obviously thinking hard about the situation, trying to find a way to make it work somehow. Ame would have suggested they use one of her smoke bombs, but it wouldn’t have lasted and it would have given away their presence.

“What’s the problem?” then asked Irina, stifling a yawn. “Just go on through.”

All of the students gaped at her at that.

“A- are you crazy?” protested Yoshida.

“Do you have any grasp of the situation here, Bitch-sensei?” added Sugaya.

“How are we supposed to make it past all those guards?” remarked Kimura.

“I told you: just go on through.”

Without an ounce of hesitation, the woman passed through their little group and walked right out in the open. Ame instantly understood as the blonde stumbled into one of the guards.

_Hiding in plain sight! Of course!_

If they acted suspiciously, then people were bound to figure them out. However, if they simply blended in with their environment, then they’d basically become invisible.

“A- ah! I’m so sorry… I seem to have had too much of the liquor in my room,” giggled Irina.

 _She’s going to distract them so we can pass!_ Realized the teen, honestly impressed by the woman’s acting skills. After a while, it was easy to forget their teacher was a pro in a field of her own. _Go get them!_

“Oh, err, think nothing of it, miss,” assured the guard, instantly falling for her innocent charm.

“I’m the pianist scheduled to perform here next week,” she then informed, improvising on the spot as soon as she saw the piano farther away. “I came early to see the sights. I’d like to see if the piano is in tune—it’d help me sober up. Do you mind?”

Ame could only smile, impressed, as Irina went to sit. From what she could hear the other guards saying, they were completely oblivious to what she was truly doing—that is, distracting them from their job.

_She makes it look easy!_

“Well, uh… Let me check with the front desk—“

“Aw, come on!” She grabbed the man’s arm before he could move. While it looked like she was pleading him, though, she was truly ordering him to stay. “I want you to hear me play, and then critique me.”

“Cri- critique you…?”

“Yes—critique me carefully…” Irina placed her hands over the keys. “And if I do anything wrong, will you punish me?”

She didn’t leave them the time to answer, though, and started playing. This time around, Ame almost applauded her. Maybe she was acting, but she had more than enough skills to back up the characters she created on whims.

“S- she’s good…!” gasped Kimura.

“Ah, the _Fantaisie-Impromptu_ ,” recognized Korosensei. “An assassin who not only has obvious skill, but who also knows all too well how to charm, how to use her wiles… Using her whole body in such a bewitching way as she plays: it’s aural seduction! All eyes are on her.”

_Aural seduction? Uma told me about it once or twice, I think. He prefers the violin, though._

“Ne, don’t watch from so far away!” she then pleaded, stopping the music for a second. “Come closer and make sure I do well!”

As the entranced guards originally blocking the entrance approached her, she signed under the piano, just low enough for the class to see.

_“I’ll buy you twenty minutes. Go.”_

Ame blinked a few times at that. She had been completely throwing off her rhythm too while watching their teacher. In the end, Irina may whine a lot, but she was still a skilled pro—and a beautiful woman too.

_Maybe I should present her to Uma… They’d get along, that’s for sure._

* * *

“We’re all through safely!” sighed Kaede, relieved.

“Isn’t Bitch-sensei something?” mused Sugaya. “Playing the piano with those nails?”

“Aa, she never said anything about being able to play,” agreed Isogai.

“There’s more to her than what you see every day,” replied Karasuma. “The better the assassin, the greater their skillset. The woman who’s been teaching you conversation skills is among the one or two top honeypot masters in the world.”

“Niryufufufu! So there’s no problem at all if I can’t move,” remarked Korosensei, now being held by Nagisa.

“No, you’re still pretty much deadweight right now—otherwise said, completely useless,” retorted flatly Ame.

A cloud of gloom instantly started floating over their teacher’s head. “Useless…”

“Harsh, Ame, harsh,” chuckled Karma.

“Whatever. We should get going,” she replied, already climbing up the stairs. She shifted the bag on her shoulder—it was starting to get a little heavy, to be honest. “We’re still short on time. We can’t afford to dawdle around.”

The others nodded in agreement and started following, climbing the stairs without a sound. It surprisingly didn’t take too long for them to reach the third floor, but Ame guessed that was the easy part. From here on out, getting through would only get harder.

“Now that we’re past the stringent entrance checks, we should be able to pose as regular guests,” pointed out Karasuma.

“Guests?” repeated Yoshida. “Why would they put up with groups of junior-high here? I thought this was a place for all sorts of illegal stuff.”

“Who do you think are the perfect sellers and the perfect clients for stuff that requires a lot of money?” replied Ame, rubbing her eyes. They had become clouded for a second. “Millionaires, entertainers, high-level businessmen, government figureheads… Only high-placed people can have access to the Underworld through connections, corruption, and some other nasty stuff. And, of course, these people have kids. By bringing them here, they allow their next generation to form other connections that will, later on, make their businesses grow. There’s actually a floor entirely reserved to those rich brats. Even if they act innocent, they actually dapple in pretty weird stuff already.”

“Right! So walk around acting like those kids, looking down your noses at the whole world!” instructed Korosensei. “High and mighty but still mysterious! You know things other people don’t know! You’re above everyone else! _That’s_ how you have to act.”

As one, all of the students turned to Ame. It took the girl a few seconds to notice how they were all staring at her but, once she did, she scowled.

“Aa? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You fit the bill perfectly,” sweatdropped Kimura.

“Ne, Ame-chan, have you ever come here before?” then wondered Yada.

“Ooh, that could explain a lot!” remarked Fuwa. She was suddenly before Ame, her eyes sparkling. “Oh my God, are you actually the heiress of a super-duper important company who got involved with those shady deals, but then you were disowned as you tried to break away from that dark world and that’s how you ended up with no money!?”

“… no?”

“Dang it!”

“Look, I never came here before,” answered honestly the teen. “I only learned about it a few days before we came here. In fact, I was strictly forbidden from stepping foot inside.”

“Eh?” Okano’s eyes widened. “Why?”

“Well, with the whole target-on-my-back situation, this is one of the few places on Earth where many people will actually know my face and the bounty attached to it,” she shrugged, a little past caring at this point. It was too late to back out, after all. “There are many assassins here, so we’ll have to be careful.”

“Then why did you come in the first place then, you dumbass?” retorted Terasaka, annoyed. “If it’s so dangerous, you should have stayed behind with Okuda and Takebayashi!”

“Because I know what I’m doing and, if worst comes to worst, I can use my trump card,” she sighed, rubbing her temples. “Can’t we just get a move on already? We need to be fast.”

“Naoki’s right,” intervened Karasuma. He narrowed his eyes at her, though. “If you become a liability on this stealth mission, I _will_ order you to fall back.”

“Understood.”

She had already decided that, if her situation brought trouble to the team, then she’d break off from the group and handle said trouble by herself. Plus, she had permission to use her ring if truly needed and, even with that target on her back, pro assassins would think about it twice before attacking a member of the Zodiac. Their group was only really known by the top-tier of the Underworld, after all. Since the Citadel was the meeting point for many of the people fitting that label, she’d be more surprised if someone _didn’t_ recognize the gang’s emblem.

“Naoki is right: there’s a high chance pro assassins are also present. Plus, we don’t know our opponent’s face,” suddenly remarked Korosensei, drawing everyone’s attention. “He might even attack us while posing as a regular guest. Proceed with plenty of caution.”

“Right!”

* * *

It didn’t take long for them to run into some guests. However, acting natural, the students easily passed off as fellow guests and didn’t draw any attention. Since they acted as if they belonged, they easily blended in their new environment.

“Wow, it really _is_ like we’re all just regular guests,” remarked quietly Kimura as they passed a pair of men who didn’t even look at them.

“If anything, they avoid eye contact,” pointed out Chiba. “No one wants to cause any trouble, after all.”

“Right now, they think we’re rich kids,” replied Ame, most of her face now hidden by her hood. She preferred to play it safe now that there were people around. “They don’t know whose children we are so getting involved with us would mean making unknown enemies. Here, no one’s dumb enough to do that.”

“I’d pegged everyone in the hotel as our enemy, but now I think we can get up to the top floor, easy,” mused Kaede. “If what Ame-chan’s saying is true, then we’re safe, right?”

“And if something did happen, our vanguard Karasuma-sensei would find out,” added Okano.

“Eh! It’ll be a cinch now that we’re inside!” assured Terasaka.

“No, it won’t be,” retorted the orange-eyed girl, tensed. “Getting inside was the _easy_ part. Now, we’re in enemy territory—you need to stay alert.”

“We’re outta time—we should just get in there already!” however replied the rough boy.

“Wait, no! We need to be _careful_ —“

Terasaka completely ignored her warning, though, running ahead of the group with Yoshida. As if on cue, another guest arrived, walking leisurely down the hallway.

“Terasaka-kun, watch out!” exclaimed Fuwa, startling many.

 _What is she warning him about—the guest!_ Ame’s eyes widened as she stopped in her tracks. _The guy’s familiar… Isn’t he the waiter who offered us those drinks at our arrival? What is he doing here?_

Ame didn’t have the time to think it over, though. Spurred on by Fuwa’s warning, Karasuma had understood the gravity of the situation way before the teens and had darted ahead. Forcefully pushing the two boys behind him, he however didn’t manage to move in time to avoid a sudden burst of purplish smoke.

“Gas!” exclaimed Ame, eyes going wide. “Everyone, fall back! Cover your noses!”

“Ka- Karasuma-sensei!” gasped Kaede as they quickly put some distance between the cloud of gas and themselves. “He was caught in the attack!”

“Damn it!”

But their teacher jumped out of the cloud, landing on his feet at a safe distance. The smoke quickly cleared, revealing the “guest” who had just attacked them. In the span of the second it took him to attack, he had managed to cover his lower face with a special tissue so as to avoid being caught by his own poison.

“How could you tell?” he asked, lowering the tissue. “I show no bloodlust, killing as I pass by. That happens to be my specialty, Miss Helmet-Head.”

“Aren’t you the man who gave us our welcome drinks?” Fuwa replied, stepping forward.

All the students stiffened at that, taking a better look at the man… and coming to the same conclusion. Ame couldn’t help but curse herself internally. Had she been fully in control, she would have recognized him right away. After all, instantaneous facial-recognition had been part of her intense training.

_My senses truly have dulled. Damn it! I need to stay alert!_

“It’s downright fishy for someone like that to be walking around in here!” added Fuwa.

“Eh, you’ve got a good eye,” praised the fake waiter.

“Then was it you who gave everyone that virus?” asked Kaede.

“Ah ah, your evidence is pretty weak, here,” replied the man. “There would’ve been plenty of other opportunities to slip you that stuff.”

Kaede recoiled at that, but Fuwa simply laughed.

“Wrong,” she claimed smugly. “The only time we all ate or drank the same thing was with those drinks and our shipboard dinner. However, Mimura and Okajima worked on the video through dinner, and they’re both sick, which narrows it down to those daytime drinks. And that means…” She lifted her finger, pointing at him accusingly; victoriously. “The culprit is _you_ , mister!”

At that, it was the man’s turn to recoil. He obviously hadn’t expected to have his cover blown so easily, and even less by a teenage girl.

“That’s amazing, Fuwa-san!” praised Nagisa.

“Just like a real detective!” added Kaede.

“Well, when you read a lot of shonen manga, you learn to adjust quickly to unusual situations,” pointed out Fuwa, obviously smug.

“That gas you just used…” Ame’s voice drew everyone’s attention. “It was the same virus you used on our class, did you not?”

“Uh?” blinked Fuwa. “How would that work? He slipped it in the drinks, did he not?”

“Once an assassin develops a toxin, it’s pretty easy to find a way to change it’s form, shape, or state,” replied the girl. “It broadens the range of attacks by exploiting its full potential. Use the liquid form for a subtle assassination, use the gas form on the offensive. So, just to confirm: this gas is the same virus you used on our friends?”

“You’ve got bright kids on your side,” mused the man, a band of sweat now rolling down his forehead. “What makes you think I developed this toxin, though?”

“Since you attacked us so openly, it’s easy to guess you’re working for the guy who contacted us earlier. You’re an assassin who was employed to poison the class so as to give your boss some leverage against us, and you’re now supposed to stop us from getting any closer to him. He told us he is the only one in possession of the remedy, meaning we can’t make it. That said, it’s also logical to think it’s the same case for the virus. _That_ means the virus was created by someone and, since you seem so adept in using it, I’m taking a wild guess here and saying _you’re_ the one who created the virus—meaning you also created that remedy we’re after.” Her eyes sharpened at that. “You’re the one who poisoned our friends and you know how to save them, don’t you?”

There was a moment of silence as all of the students gaped at her. Everything she said made sense and, if she was right, then it meant… they didn’t have to get the remedy. They could force this guy to create it for them!

“Gee, my cover’s completely blown, isn’t it?” grunted the assassin. “I guess it’s too late, then.”

At the same moment, Karasuma suddenly collapsed to his knees. Ame’s eyes widened when remembering he had been caught in the gas earlier. The gas form of the virus obviously worked faster than the liquid one.

“You’re right. My very own paralysis gas for indoor use!” then exclaimed the man. “One whiff and you’re a living statue. Fresh air counteracts it, leaving no evidence behind. And when ingested, the effects are even nastier—deadly. Though, now, it’s plain to see you have no intention of going through with this. Negotiations have broken down, so guess I’ll have to tell my boss—“

He stopped in his tracks, startled. Terasaka, Isogai, Kataoka, and Chiba were now blocking the hallway by which he had come in earlier. Fuwa, Kaede, Nagisa, Karma, and Hayami blocked off the one to his right. Yada, Okano, Kimura, Sugaya, and Yoshida covered the one to the left. Finally, Ame blocked the one behind him, from where the class had come earlier. He narrowed his eyes at the girl. Her face was covered, but he easily guessed who she was, though he was surprised to see her standing.

_They’re fast! When did they block off the exits!? And that girl… They trust her enough to leave her on her own, and she’s still standing despite the double-dose I was careful in giving her earlier…_

“When encountering an enemy, immediately block their retreat path and cut off communications,” recalled Isogai. “Isn’t that right, Karasuma-sensei?”

“The minute you saw us, you should have held off attacking.” Slowly, Karasuma rose back to his feet, swaying in place but still standing. “You should have gone back to tell your boss immediately.”

“Eh? I’m surprised you can still talk,” replied the assassin, pulling the tissue back over his nose. “But all that’s left is a bunch of kids. Once you’re dead, they’ll stop following orders and just run away!”

Karasuma was having none of it, though. Too fast for the eye to follow, he dealt a serious blow to the man, kicking him in the face. The strength of the attack sent the assassin flying and he dropped his gas-diffuser, completely taken by surprise. The students cheered at that, but their joy quickly vanished as their teacher collapsed once more—this time, for good.

“Karasuma-sensei!”

While the students went to check up on him, Ame started searching through her bag. After a few seconds, she pulled out a long, long rope.

“Oi, Terasaka! Yoshida!” she called, gaining their attention. She threw the rope at the tsundere, who easily caught it. “Tie him up real tight. We can’t let him run loose and go back to warn his boss.”

“Got it.”

While they did that, Ame pulled out her phone and took a picture of the assassin. She quickly sent it to Hana with a note indicating that man was the creator of the poison. With some luck, Usagi would be able to run him through the facial-recognition software and find a match and, hopefully, find some more information on the poison used.

The two boys placed the tied-up assassin under a table. It wasn’t the most subtle thing, since anyone actually paying attention would notice him, but they didn’t have the time to find a place to hide him properly. At the same moment, Isogai helped Karasuma back on his feet, to the man’s request.

“You can’t keep going like this, Karasuma-sensei,” sighed the class representative.

“I- I’ll be better in a half-hour,” assured their teacher, stubborn. “Don’t do anything crazy.”

“He’s the crazy one,” sweatdropped Sugaya. “That much gas would freeze an elephant.”

“I guess Karasuma-sensei’s kind of a monster himself,” agreed Okano.

“Wait, everyone!” called Ame, stopping them from going any farther. “Before we keep going, we need to choose a second-in-command.”

“Uh? What are you talking about?” wondered Kimura.

“Karasuma-sensei’s currently incapacitated and, in the worst-case scenario, he won’t be able to provide the necessary leadership as our commander,” she stated bluntly. “If that happens, we need to immediately be able to rely on a new leader so as to keep the chain of command.”

“… Naoki has a point,” grunted Karasuma, not even able to stand on his own. “She should—“

“I suggest Isogai-kun,” added Ame in a no-nonsense tone.

“M- me?” gaped the boy, startled.

“You’re the class representative, aren’t you? The class is already keen on following you,” she shrugged. “Plus, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders and you can keep your cool in any kind of situation—something _crucial_ if we want to succeed.”

At that, the rest of the students nodded in agreement. Isogai had been the one to signal them to cover the exits and he was also the one who more or less took the lead whenever they needed someone to fill the role.

“Alright, I’ll do it,” he agreed, smiling a little. “Though, I’ll be counting on you, Ame-san.”

“Me?” she blinked.

“I understand it’s not the time to ask questions, but let’s not play dumb: you know _exactly_ what you’re doing, and you have experience in this kind of situation,” he pointed out, making her flinch a little. “I could use your support, then.”

“… understood.”

“Maa, it sure is starting to feel like summer vacation, am I right?” suddenly exclaimed Korosensei, breaking the tension.

…

…

…

“AREN’T _YOU_ HAPPY-GO-LUCKY!?” snapped back all of the students.

“Says the one who’s absolutely safe!”

“Nagisa, twirl him around till he’s sick!”

“Well, so much for a stealth mission,” sweatdropped Ame as they kept on yelling.

“Okay, Terasaka, I’m jamming him in,” announced Karma, taking a hold of the plastic bag containing their teacher. “Shorts off and spread those cheeks.”

“That’d kill me!!!” violently protested the boy in question.

“Korosensei, why does this feel like summer vacation?” couldn’t help but ask Nagisa.

The octopus instantly perked up at that. “The teacher-student relationship is not a cozy one. Summer vacation fosters student independence in places beyond a teacher’s protection. If you apply the lessons you’ve learned in your usual gym classes, there will be few enemies for you to fear. This is your assassination vacation… and you can _beat_ it.”

That seemed to fire their spirits even more, and it’s with great determination that they started walking once again.

* * *

They reached the fifth floor without running into any trouble. Their peace however wasn’t meant to last as, while they sneaked through the scenic walkway, they found a man leaning against the wall, unmoving but with a rather imposing presence. They immediately stopped in their tracks, not wanting to be found out. At the same moment, Ame’s phone buzz in her pocket (though there was no noise, obviously). Pulling it out, she realized it was a message from Hana. Apparently, they had managed to identify the man Karasuma had defeated earlier as the pro assassin Smog, a renowned poisoner. And, conveniently enough for them, he usually worked in team with two other assassins—always the same ones, meaning they now had intel on them, too.

“Hey, why’s he just standing out in the open like that?” asked Sugaya.

“That vibe he’s giving off…” murmured Yada.

“Oh, yeah. I can totally call it now,” nodded Yoshida, tensed. “If it’s kill or be killed, he’ll kill.”

Ame was quickly reading over the files sent by her partner when the loud noise of breaking glass suddenly echoed, making everyone stiffen in fright. Sneaking a peek, Ame paled when realizing the man had just cracked the glass behind him with his bare hand.

“What a drag, hm,” the man spoke up, not even looking at them. “If I can hear your footsteps, you’re not tough enough for me, hm. Supposedly some special-forces teacher was taking the lead too, hm. I guess Smog’s gas must’ve gotten the better of him, hm. Probably killed each other at the same time, hm. Come on out, hm.”

“He- he cracked the window with his hand…!” gasped Yoshida.

“But more than that…”

Slowly, they all walked out of their hiding place. Most were pretty much scared shitless, but none dared to say it out loud—

“Eh, you sure say ‘hm’ a lot, buddy!” exclaimed Karma.

 _He actually said it! Thank God for Karma!_ Cried internally the students.

“I heard it would make me sound more like a samurai, hm,” replied the assassin, unbothered. “It’s got a cool ring to it, so I’m trying it out, hm. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t mind, hm.” He started cracking all of his fingers, and Ame cringed at the noise. “After I kill you all here, I can drop the ‘hm’ with no loss of face, hm.”

“Bare hands… Are those your killing tools, then?” wondered Korosensei, nervous sweat having broken all over his head.

“There’s actually quite a demand for this, hm,” confirmed the foreigner. “Passing through pat-downs has distinct advantages. Once they come closer, I snap their necks, hm. Or, if I feel like it, I could crush their skulls, hm.”

Okano started shaking at that. Ame placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, only half-paying attention. She was still reading and memorizing the file Hana had sent her, hoping she’d find something in there that would help them out of this sticky situation.

“You know, it’s funny, hm. The more you train your strength for killing people, hm, the more you feel like using it for something else, hm. A fight, to be precise, hm. Against a mighty foe—to the death, hm. But what a letdown, hm. Seeing who I’m up against, I’ve all but lost my will to fight, hm.”

“You shouldn’t be so quick to judge, Grip.”

There was a moment of silence as the man stiffened. His eyes quickly scanned over the group, searching for the one who had just spoken up. Confidently, Ame pushed apart the few people who had been standing before her, her hood still covering her head and hiding most of her face.

“… I did not hear you, hm,” he then remarked. “I heard fourteen people, plus a deadweight, hm. How do you know my name, hm?”

“Grip, twenty-seven years old, American, assassin,” she resumed, smirking a little as his eyes narrowed at her. “Your hands are your main tools and your strength is, frankly, inhuman. You’ve been a pro for a while, too. Eleven years, uh? Not bad. Though, considering all of this, it’s true that we don’t really stand a chance against you. However, if you keep on looking down on us, you might find yourself regretting it.”

“Ooh?” He took a step forward, pulling out a phone. “Maybe you’re worth my time after all, hm. But, then again, maybe you’re not. I’ll just call in my colleague and my boss so we can all get rid of you together, hm.”

Before he could dial the number, though, Karma suddenly swung at him the decorative palm tree that had been standing in the hallway. It sent the phone crash into the wall, breaking it on impact.

“Ne, buddy,” smirked the red-haired boy. “You’re pretty average for a pro, uh? Breaking glass, busting skulls? I can do that, too. But if your opening move is to call in reinforcements, maybe you’re too scared to take on a junior-high kid alone. Ame just warned you not to look down on us, didn’t she?”

All of the students stiffened at the clear provocation. What was Karma thinking!?

“No—don’t be reckless!” protested Karasuma.

“Stop right there, Karasuma-sensei,” however intervened Korosensei, calm. “See? His chin is down. So far, he’s been showing off his swagger with his chin in the air, looking down on his opponents. But this is different. His words may be as rough as ever… but his eyes are looking straight ahead, alert, observing his foe head-on. He’d been lying low ever since finals, but it seems he’s learned well from his failures.”

“Karma,” called Ame, grinning a little. “You know what to do, right?”

The boy grinned back. “Aa.”

“… all right, hm,” agreed Grip, getting rid of his jacket. “Let’s see what you can do, hm.”

“If you insist…”

The students stepped back a little to give some space. They still didn’t know what to make of the situation, worried, but Ame was simply watching. She knew Karma could do it. A moment later, the boy moved, trying to hit his opponent with the decorative palm tree.

“Too soft, hm,” remarked Grip, easily catching it. “You’ll have to find a better weapon, hm.”

“Don’t need one.”

The plan was snapped in half and, a second later, the assassin lunged at the boy. Karma instantly moved backward, light on his feet as he avoided the man’s grasp. Soon enough, it turned into a cat-and-mouse game, Grip trying to get a hold of Karma, but Karma escaping or blocking every time. They were moving very fast, but the student was somehow able to keep up.

“W- wow…” murmured Kaede, in awe. “He’s blocking or dodging every blow!”

“That’s your defense technique, right, Karasuma-sensei?” remarked Korosensei.

The teacher simply narrowed his eyes at the boy. “… Naoki. You taught him evasive maneuvers?”

“Actually, he picked them up while watching me fight,” she admitted. “When I noticed, I volunteered to teach him the basics. He integrated your defensive technique to the mix, and the result is the following.” All eyes turned back to the ongoing fight. “Not only is he able to block properly his opponent’s movements, but he’s also able to move around without wasting more energy than required. Frankly, though, when it comes to fighting skills, Karma’s in a league of his own.”

“Ame, why did you tell that guy all of this stuff?” then wondered Fuwa, confused. “Was it to buy more time or something?”

“Distraction,” answered the black-haired teen. “I slipped a note to Karma when I pushed through to get at the front since he was too far ahead for me to simply give it to him without being noticed. I drew his attention while Karma read it, is all.”

“What did you—“

“What’s wrong, hm?” asked Grip, suddenly stopping the fight. “You’ll never get past me if you don’t attack, hm!”

“You think?” Karma loosened his stance a little. “I mean, I could be doing my best to distract you while the rest of us slip past a few at a time.” Grip’s face darkened at that. “Relax, though. No underhanded hijinks here. Now… it’s my turn.” He cracked his knuckles before he started to jump a little, giving him some momentum. “Barehanded, like you. We’ll settle this fair and square, man to man.”

“I like that face of yours, young warrior, hm,” praised the assassin. “With you, I’ve got a chance—a chance at the fair fight I can’t experience in the assassination biz, hm.”

Karma pounced, and the two instantly started exchanging blows. Ame narrowed her eyes, knowing fully well that Grip could have used the opportunity to grab the boy’s arm and crush his bones. He was leaving a clear opening too.

_This is too easy._

Karma managed to hit him in the leg, and the man kneeled on the floor, his back turned to the student. The boy instantly lunged forward, probably hoping it was his chance to deal the final strike but, at the last second, Grip decided to play dirty and used a gas-diffuser. A spray of purplish smoke engulfed Karma, who collapsed to his knees.

“Karma!” panicked Nagisa.

“It’s over, hm,” stated Grip, taking a hold of the boy’s head. “I’m not fond of draw-out fights, hm. Thought I’d give Smog’s paralysis gas a try, hm.”

“T- that’s dirty!” protested Yoshida. “Ain’t nothing fair about sneaking that into the fight!”

“I never said I only fight bare-handed, hm,” replied the assassin, glancing at Ame. “You merely assumed based on the information she provided you with, hm. If you want anyone to blame, blame her.”

Contrarily to her classmates, though, the girl didn’t seem worried in the least. Her stance was relaxed, aloof even and, while he couldn’t see her face, he could tell she was smiling. Noticing his stare, she lifted her head slightly, and he caught the quirk of her lips: she was _definitely_ smiling.

“What do you find so amusing, hm?” he asked, somewhat on edge.

“For a pro, you’re pretty blindsided, aren’t you?” she simply taunted.

“What—“

His question was cut off as Karma suddenly struck him the neck. Flashes of electricity followed as a violent shock ran through his entire body, before the man collapsed, smoke sizzling from his spasm-shaken body.

“Eh, it’s a lot more effective than I thought it’d be,” mused Karma, showing off the mini-Taser he had received from Ame months ago. “I didn’t think it’d _actually_ knock him out.”

“It’s meant to paralyze,” she shrugged. “But you _did_ jam it in his neck. The shock probably fried his brain a bit.”

“Isn’t this, I don’t know, dangerous?” sweatdropped Nagisa.

“Only in the wrong hands, don’t worry,” assured Ame with a smile.

 _Then why did you give it to Karma!?_ Protested internally the rest of the students.

“Anyway, we’ve wasted enough time,” remarked the black-haired girl, completely oblivious to her classmates’ mental struggle. She pulled out some more rope. “Let’s tie him up to make sure he can’t warn his boss. I’ve also got some tape we can use. Be mindful of his hands!”

Terasaka, Yoshida, Kimura, and Chiba instantly moved forward to come and help out. In less than a minute, Grip was tied up, taped up, and still paralyzed from the electrical shock. He had however managed to gain back his senses somehow and, while his hair was still fuming a little, he was muttering curses under his breath and glaring openly at Karma.

“Did you see my gas attack coming, hm?” he asked, gritting his teeth. “Is that why you didn’t breathe any in? But I only showed you my bare hands, hm. How, hm?”

At that, the red-haired boy showed him a scrap of paper. “Ame slipped this to me when she spoke up earlier. She knows me too well, you see, so she knew I’d take you on. She simply warned me about the cartridge of poison she had noticed in your back pocket. Plus, it was pretty obvious you’d use some sort of dirty trick to beat me. After all, you needed to stop us by any means necessary if you wanted to accomplish your job. I simply trusted your attitude as a pro.”

After a moment, Grip sighed. “You’re nothing to sneeze at, young warrior, hm. I may have lost, but I enjoyed our time togeth—“

“What are you talking about? The fun’s just beginning~!”

Karma showed off two tubes: one containing wasabi and the other containing hot mustard. Ame barked out a laugh at his evil smirk.

“W- what are those for?” blinked the assassin, genuinely confused.

“Well, I’m going to jam those up your nostrils, of course!” answered cheerfully the boy.

“Eh!?” gasped the students, horrified.

“Karma, don’t take too long,” simply warned Ame, though amused.

“I know~!” He got to work. “You know, I’d been on guard around you all this time, but now that you’re tied up, what’s the point? Once these are in, I’ll plug your nose with a special clip, stuff your mouth with ghost peppers—a thousand times hotter than average chilies—then, on top of all that, I’ll gag you. Done and done!”

“Ame-san… Isn’t that the special kit you gave Karma for helping you out that other time?” remarked Nagisa, a little pale.

“Yeah. I’m glad to see he’s enjoying his gift!” grinned the girl.

 _Evil! They’re both evil!_ Shuddered the rest of the students.

“All right, now’s the time to show your willpower as a pro, Grip-san~!”

On which, as promised, he jammed in the mustard and the wasabi. Most looked away at that point, a little sickened by the torture Karma was putting the poor man through. Chuckling, Ame simply swung her bag over her shoulders.

“Come on, let’s keep going,” she suggested. “Now that two out of three of the assassins have been taken out, it won’t be long before we run into the last one. We’ll have to be careful, okay?”

The team agreed, starting to move forward once again while Karma quickly gathered all of his stuff. Honestly amused, Ame went to stand by him, holding out her phone.

“Picture time?” she suggested.

His grin only widened. “Can’t pass up the opportunity, can we?”

So they crouched on each side of the assassin, grinning manically and offering peace signs at the camera as Ame snapped a picture. After what, they quickly moved to catch up to the other students. Ame, however, rose up too fast, and a wave of dizziness washed over her. She stumbled, but Karma took hold of her arm before she could fall.

“Ame?” he frowned, more serious now. “Are you okay? Is it the virus?”

“My immunity is supposed to protect me from most toxins but, for some reason, this one seems to be getting to me,” admitted the girl, rubbing her forehead. She was starting to grow a headache. “Fortunately, the effects have been greatly lessened, so I’ll be fine.”

“If you can’t go on—“

“I’m _fine_. Let’s just go already.”

She quickly went ahead. Karma’s frown deepened before he shook his head and followed. Ame was stubborn and she wouldn’t back down. The only way to get her to leave would be by using force and, right now, they didn’t have the time for that. He’d keep an eye on her, though. The last thing he wanted was for his partner in crime to get herself killed like an idiot.


	20. Twentieth Period: Fighting Time PART 2

“Okay, everyone, the terrace is upstairs,” announced Ritsu as they climbed the stairs leading to the sixth floor.

“The bar floor,” recognized Hayami. “This could be tricky.”

“Yes! There’s a stairway to the VIP floor inside a lounge here,” informed the program. “The back entrance is locked; we’ll have to come in through the lounge to unlock it.”

“Now we’re flying by the seat of our pants,” remarked Nagisa.

“We really stand out, you guys,” sighed Isogai.

“Let’s have the teachers and the boys hide here,” suggested Kataoka. “We’ll sneak into the lounge and unlock the back entrance. We girls won’t look suspicious alone in a place like this.”

The other girls nodded in agreement, but Karasuma weakly shook his head.

“No—it’s girls going alone that makes it dangerous,” he refused.

“Karasuma-sensei, in case you’ve forgotten, _all_ of us have gone through intense training too,” pointed out Ame, miffed at how he seemed to doubt their abilities. “Just because we’re girls doesn’t mean we can’t defend ourselves. Plus, I’m used to this kind of places: I’ll keep an eye on everyone and we’ll make it back safely.”

“Ame-san, are you sure?” asked Isogai. “You’ve ingested the virus—“

“I told you that I’m fine!” she snapped, now annoyed. “I’m still standing, see? And I can still kick your ass to the school and back so stop looking down on me already!”

There was a moment of silence, before the girl exhaled deeply, rubbing her temples.

“… sorry. The virus… it just made me a little more susceptible. I’m still in top shape, though, and the chances of us running into the last assassin in that lounge are extremely low due to the sheer number of people in there,” she explained, calming down. “There would be too many witnesses. One way or another, though, we’re more than apt to defend ourselves, so having a guy with us would be pretty much useless and riskier. So, please: trust us with this mission.”

Karasuma gauged her for a moment, before sighing.

“Very well. Though, if you _do_ run in the assassin, you are to come back here immediately,” he ordered, serious.

“Yes, sir!”

All of the girls exchanged a confident grin, before heading up. At the last moment, though, Ame realized her bag would surely draw a lot of unwanted attention.

“Oi, Terasaka!” she called. “Mind looking after my bag for me? I’ll take it back later, thank you!”

“Wait—“

But she had already thrown it his way and he had no other choice but to catch it. He actually stumbled at the sheer weight, though, and grimaced.

_She’s been carrying all of this stuff to climb the cliff and on the whole way here?_

He was suddenly very, _very_ glad not to have made an enemy out of her. Her threats of punching him through the wall suddenly seemed a lot more realistic.

* * *

All of the girls walked into the lounge without an ounce of hesitation in their steps. While they seemed relaxed, though, all of them were scanning the perimeter, already taking notice of all of the potential exits, the people surrounding them and the threat level. Ame had been forced to lower her hood since the check guys were extremely careful, but she doubted they’d run into any real trouble there. After all, this lounge was mostly used by the rich brats. The real dark deals were usually made in the privacy of the rooms, to avoid attracting attention.

“All right girls,” she said, gathering everyone. “We move fast and straight to the goal. Avoid drawing attention, don’t make eye contact either. If someone comes up, then we improvise, as long as we don’t stir up trouble, okay?”

They all nodded firmly at that and started moving. Through all of the rich brats, they easily blended in despite their age, and Ame actually thought it’d go smoothly… until a hand fell on her shoulder.

“Hey? You’re pretty cute, you know? How ‘bout a drink? It’s on me.”

All of the other girls instantly stopped in their tracks, glaring at the newcomer. Ame, however, stiffened, the voice familiar…

_No way…_

Tilting her head back, she swallowed back a curse as her eyes met familiar red ones. The orange-haired man smirked openly at her, his grip on her shoulder tightening slightly.

“F- Feitan!” She couldn’t believe it. Of all the people she could run into… “What are you doing here?”

“Eh? Didn’t Saru-chan tell you?” he replied, eyes glinting with malice.

::

_At that, though, Buta frowned. “You don’t know? The tower is one of the meeting points for most gang leaders and other higher figures of the Underworld. There are many enemy organizations who have an agent twenty-four/seven in there, to keep an eye on the ongoing deals and on their competitors and rivals. That’s a live Black Market.”_

::

She facepalmed at that. _How stupid can I be? Of course the Zodiac would have a member here! I’m so fucking dumb!_

“Ame-chan, you know this guy?” asked Kaede, wary.

“… yeah. You girls go on ahead, okay? I’ll catch up to you in a few,” assured the teen. “We can’t afford drawing suspicion now.”

Her friends nodded, somewhat hesitantly. However, if Ame knew the man who had just arrived, then they surely had nothing to worry about. So, with a short goodbye, the girls continued ahead while Ame headed to the bar with Feitan. As soon as they got there, though, the man whacked her behind the head.

“What the hell are you doing here, brat?” he asked, somewhat spitefully.

Feitan, aka Ondori, was yet another of the three members who were strongly against her joining the Zodiac. Contrarily to Mest, though, he had no problem voicing it out loud, and they often ended up fighting, be it verbally or physically. Feitan was a brilliant gambler and a good talker, though, so beating him in verbal fights was near impossible.

“I thought Hana would have warned you,” she grunted, rubbing the sore spot. “My class got in trouble and half of my friends have been poisoned. We infiltrated the Citadel to steal the remedy.”

“Ooh? Don’t you trust Hana to come up with an antidote?”

“Better safe than sorry.”

“Says the girl with a bounty on her head?”

She cringed at that. He too had been informed, uh?

“Gee, you’re really more trouble than you’re worth,” he grunted, flagging the bartender for a drink. “Why don’t you quit already?”

She gritted her teeth at that. “Look, if you brought me here to throw another of your temper-tantrums, then I’m going back. I’m on a mission myself and I’d rather not waste my time with the likes of you.”

She made a move to leave, but a single name made her falter.

“ _Coup de Grâce_.”

She stiffened at that. Slowly, she looked back at him. “What?”

“ _Coup de Grâce_ is here. Saru-chan sent me here to keep an eye on them,” he informed, serious now. “Thought I’d warn you, is all. If you’re recognized here by one of them, it’d get the Zodiac into even more trouble, so don’t you dare get caught, got it?”

“… Aa. Thanks for the warning.”

“I didn’t do it for you.”

“I know.”

They stayed silent for a moment before the girl shook her head and rose to her feet. Without even bothering with a goodbye, she started walking away. Hopefully, the rest of the girls hadn’t gotten into too much trouble while she was gone.

It only took her a minute or so to locate them. They had already reached the goal of their mission, but the door was heavily guarded by an antipathetic-looking guy. She had no doubt he wouldn’t be fooled by one of their tricks.

“A- Ame-chan!” gasped Yada when seeing her. “Who was that guy?”

“An… acquaintance,” she answered, a little tensed. “He warned me about some unsavory guys we’d rather not get involved with. So, what’s the situation?”

“We don’t really know how to get passed this guy,” admitted Takaoka, discreetly looking at the man guarding the door.

 _I could use my ring_ , thought Ame. _He’s a member of the staff, though, so the chances of him knowing what it means are fifty-fifty—_

“Maa, leave it to me, young ladies~!”

“Gah—Feitan! Can’t you just leave us alone already?” snapped Ame, turning to see the man once again behind her.

“Sheesh, here I am, offering my help, and you reject me?” He placed a hand over his heart, his smirk all but pained. “You hurt me.”

“A- ano… How would you help us…?” asked Fuwa, a tad intimidated by the guy.

“Watch and learn, girls!”

Feitan went ahead, walking up to the man without hesitation. He talked to him in a low tone, too low for any of them to hear. Then, he jabbed his thumb at their little group, and the girls stiffened when the guard narrowed his eyes at them. A moment later, though, Feitan showed him the ring on his middle finger. The guy’s eyes instantly widened and he bowed deeply, apologizing profusely. Laughing, Feitan gestured for the girls to come closer.

“There you go, ladies!” he announced, grinning. “You’re free to pass. Don’t cause too much trouble, okay?”

“R- right!”

Sending wary glances at the still bowing guard, the girls however passed through without a hitch. As the door slid closed behind them, Ame shot a look at Feitan. He wouldn’t have helped them out unless it either benefited him or the Zodiac. Understanding, however, dawned on her when she noticed the three men following him back at the bar.

 _He blew his cover when warning me,_ she realized, gritting her teeth. _Those gang members already had their eyes on him and, had I used my ring, they would have found me, too._

“Ame?”

“Coming!”

She quickly joined the girls, shaking her head. Feitan could take care of himself. For now, she needed to focus on their own mission. So, they unlocked the door indicated by Ritsu before Okano went to fetch the boys.

Soon enough, everyone was back together.

“We really sent you into some dicey territory,” remarked Korosensei. “You weren’t in any danger, were you?”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Not remotely!”

“We even had some help!” added Kaede.

“Help?”

“An acquaintance of mine,” shrugged Ame, exchanging a knowing glance with the octopus. “He helped us through. Now, shall we get going?”

Because frankly, if agents of _Coup de Grâce_ were present, she’d rather not stick around long enough to run into them. Knowing they were almost out of time, the others agreed and everyone started climbing to the seventh floor.

“Ne, Ame?” She glanced to Karma. “You’ve got pretty special friends, uh? To find one of them in a place like this…”

“Acquaintance,” she corrected, scowling a little. “That man is anything but my friend, trust me.”

“So why did he help you?”

“Common interest.”

“Which was?”

“Karma, you've never pried into my business before, so I’d really appreciate you didn’t start now,” she warned, growing even more annoyed.

“Kind of hard not to pry when you’re basically shoving those secrets of yours in our faces,” muttered Terasaka.

“I…” He had a point, she couldn’t deny that. “I’m not allowed to talk about it. Even if I wanted to tell you everything, I couldn’t. I’m not the only one who’d be affected by it.”

At that, though, Karma smiled. “I can work with that. Better than you lying, at least.”

“I don’t lie,” she huffed. “I just… twist the truth a little.”

“Of course, of course.”

“Everyone stay focused,” then ordered Karasuma, bringing back some order. “We’re in our final stage of infiltration here. Ritsu?”

“Yes. Up ahead is the VIP floor. These guests don’t rely solely on hotel security, but provide their own hired lookouts.”

They stopped at the top of the stairs, glancing inside the hallway. Farther away, standing before the doors they needed to pass through, were two of the mentioned lookouts.

“Of course there’s some blocking the staircase,” sighed Sugaya.

“They look way tough, too,” added Kataoka.

“Are they more of the guys who’ve been threatening us?” wondered Yada. “Or hired muscle that has nothing to do with us?”

“Neither of them is the third assassin,” however assured Ame. “Though as for whom they’re protecting, I can’t say.”

“Either way, we’re gonna have to beat them to get by,” replied Terasaka, cracking his knuckles.

“Exactly right, Terasaka-kun,” confirmed Korosensei, surprising many. “And that weapon Naoki-san brought will do the job perfectly!”

“That weapon…?” Curious, Ame looked through her bag before pulling it out. “You mean the katana?”

Everyone flinched as the blade glinted under the neon light. It was obviously very sharp—and probably very much lethal, too.

“Gah! Why’d you bring that thing?” protested Yoshida.

“Why do you even have a _real_ katana in the first place!?” added Sugaya, about to tear his hair out in frustration. _What’s up with this girl!?_

“I- I actually meant the stun-guns,” sweatdropped her teacher. “I didn’t know you had that.”

“Well, you just had to be more specific,” huffed the girl, putting away the sword. She then pulled out two stun-guns, handing one over to Terasaka. “Here, go and have some fun.”

“I ain’t gonna face them head-on! You crazy or somethin’?” he snapped, taking it anyway.

“You’ll have to take them both down at once, or they’ll call for help,” instructed Karasuma.

“Kimura, you’re one of the fastest in the class, right?” recalled Ame, turning to the boy. “Mind luring those guys over so Terasaka and I can handle them?”

“S- sure, but how?”

“Ugh, who cares? Just do it already!” urged Terasaka, testing the baton.

“Here, Kimura, I got an idea…” Karma whispered in the boy’s ear. “Got it?”

“R- right!”

Exchanging a nod with the others, he then stepped out of their hiding place, walking toward the two guards. His step was more confident than he really felt, but he could handle running just fine. After all, as Ame said, he was one of the fastest in their class. He then stopped before the two men, glaring openly at them.

“Aa?” One of them noticed him, already annoyed by the look he was giving them. “What gives, kid?”

“Uh? Any brains around here? These guys are total muscle-heads!” exclaimed the boy, following Karma’s instructions. “You slabs of pigmeat out to quit pretending to be human.”

After what, he started walking away. There was a moment of dumbstruck silence… before the two lookouts instantly took off after him, intending to give him the beating of his life. Kimura picked up the pace, passing by the staircase in a flash. As one, both Ame and Terasaka jumped into the hallway. Terasaka tackled the first one to the ground while Ame slipped under the arms of the second and jammed her stun-gun into his chest. He collapsed to the floor while his companion met the same fate.

“Eh, you handled that weapon well,” mused Ame, glancing at Terasaka, somewhat impressed. “Ever wielded a stun-gun before?”

“I actually bought one to see how electricity would work against the octopus,” admitted the boy, scratching the back of his head.

“Ooh? Then keep that one too. You ought to deal some more damage with two of them,” she suggested, grinning a little.

“Aa? That shit is expensive, I’m not—“

“Chill, it’s a gift. I’ve got plenty of those already,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “Oh, unless you would have preferred the katana? I can—“

“I think I’ll stick with the stun-gun,” he sweatdropped. “… thanks, I guess.”

She waved it off. Frankly, she had no idea of where or when she even got those stun-guns in the first place, so it didn’t really matter to her. Plus, Terasaka seemed to have a certain affinity for it, so why not? At the same time, the rest of the students stepped out of their hiding place, coming to see the result of the surprise attack.

“Well, as expected, you possess wonderful weapons, Naoki-san,” mused Korosensei. “Though, if you check their coats, you ought to find something even better.”

“I’d rather not,” huffed the teen, already knowing what she’d find. “You know I can’t stand guns.”

She let Terasaka pull out the two handguns hidden in the lookouts’ coats. She immediately felt the tension in the air grow as the students stared warily at the weapons.

Those were _real_ guns with _real_ bullets.

They could actually _kill_ someone with those.

“Chiba-kun? Hayami-san?” Both turned to their teacher, a little pale. “Those guns are for you. After all, Karasuma-sensei hasn’t recovered enough to fire with any accuracy. Right now, you two are the best gunners we have.”

“B- but this all so sudden—“

Chiba’s protest was cut short. “However! I will not permit you to kill anyone. With your skills, you should have plenty of ways to use those to defeat someone without a scratch.”

Hesitantly, the took grabbed a gun each, examining them carefully. It was easy to tell they didn’t really believe in their capacities after what had happened during their assassination attempt, but they didn’t have time for hesitation. The hour they had been given was almost up and they had yet to reach the top floor.

“Let’s be on our way, then,” urged Korosensei. “From the look of things at this hotel, there’s no sign the enemy has set up camp in any great numbers. They’re even down to one hired killer, if Naoki-san’s information is accurate.”

“Yosh! Let’s go kick his ass and get that damn remedy then!” exclaimed Terasaka, clenching his fist.

“Okay, team: we’ll have to use the VIP-only emergency stairs to reach the next floor up,” announced Ritsu. “And to do that, we’ll have to go through the concert hall on the eighth floor.”

“Right!”

As everyone started moving up, Ame wiped some sweat from her forehead. Her head had started to throb not too long ago and her little stunt with the guard had taken a lot more out of her than it should have. For some reason, the virus had managed to bypass her immunity, and it was starting to show. She breathed in deeply to clear her head, forcing herself to follow the others without a noise.

Never had she realized before how hard it was to actually walk silently.

* * *

They had managed to find their way into the concert hall mentioned by Ritsu but, as soon as they went inside, they spread out to hide behind the seats. After all, if the third assassin really was coming after them, the concert hall would be the best place for him to execute his work. So, they waited silently.

They didn’t have to wait for long.

“Ugh, what a pain, going after a bunch of kids…” A man’s voice echoed as he appeared on the stage.

Just as he was about to leave, though, he stopped in his tracks. Ame easily guessed he had sensed them after all. He stayed silent for a while, probably evaluating the situation, before he fired one shot in the air. All of the students immediately tensed (well, saved for Ame, since she was wearing her earplugs).

“Just so you know, this hall is completely soundproof,” he warned, making them stiffen. “I’ll have shot you all dead before anyone comes to save you. You know you’re not prepared to kill anyone! Now come on out like good little children and bow before the boss—“

A shot near his head made him stop talking. Hayami silently cursed herself. She had been aiming for his gun, hoping to disarm him, but she had missed.

 _Again_.

 _Damn it! Now the guy knows we have real ammo_ , sighed internally Ame. _He knows we’re equipped and he probably already guessed we took the guns from their goons, which means he now knows not to underestimate us._

She didn’t have time to ponder over it any longer, though, as the entire concert hall was suddenly bathed in bright, blinding light. She flinched a little, not expecting the man to turn on the lights on the stage.

_No! With this backlight, it’ll be near impossible for Hayami and Chiba to open fire!_

“Finally, a job I can seek my teeth into!” exclaimed the assassin. He started laughing. “Feelin’ fine again today, with my tasty, tasty gun!”

He fired. Ame gritted her teeth when realizing he had fired at Hayami’s position, having managed to locate her merely because of her own shot earlier.

“I never forget the position of an enemy once they’ve fired,” claimed the assassin. “Used to be an army man, you see? All that experience taught me how to pinpoint my enemy’s location and the sensation of checking my guns by taste. Now, then… there should be one more stolen gun out there.”

“Hayami-san, remain standing by!” suddenly ordered Korosensei, his voice echoing loudly in the silence. “You were wise not to fire just now, Chiba-kun! The enemy still doesn’t know where you are! I’ll keep an eye on him and tell you when, so hang tight until it’s go time!”

There was a moment of silence before the assassin finally found the source of the voice… right before him. The sphere in which was encased Korosensei’s head had been placed on a seat, right out in the open, and the assassin instantly started firing at him.

“Oi! Quit staring at me from the front row!” he barked.

The bullets kept on bouncing off his ultimate protection, though.

“Niryufufufu!” laughed the octopus, clearly taunting him. “An expert gunman versus junior-high students? This much of a sight advantage should be all right, shouldn’t it, Gastro-san?”

The assassin stiffened at having his name called out but, before he could react properly, the damn head starting yelling out orders.

“Okay, Kimura-kun, run five seats left! Terasaka-kun and Yoshida-kun, move three seats to either side!” The students instantly obeyed. “We’ve made a blind spot! Kayano-san, move two rows forward into this gap! Karma-kun and Fuwa-san, move eight seats right! Isogai-kun, five seats left!”

 _He’s shuffling us around, uh?_ Mused Ame, readying herself to move _. Though I hope he hasn’t forgotten he can’t exactly call out my real name in front of an assassin—_

“The student who’s always where she shouldn’t be and always knows what she shouldn’t know! Move two rows back and one seat right!”

Ame obeyed in a heartbeat, unable to stop a grin from stretching her lips. Taken by surprise, the assassin didn’t even react to her sudden movement.

_Well played, Korosensei!_

“Student number 12, move right and continue preparations! Number 4 and 5, film the target from between the seats! Use Ritsu-san to tell Chiba-kun what’s going on onstage! Ponytail, move to the front left! Motorcycle Fan, you too—two seats to the front left! The person who out of curiosity went to Takebayashi’s top maid café and was alarmed to find he liked it, make a big racket to confuse the enemy!”

“Shuddup!!!” yelled back Terasaka, mortified as he slammed his fists into the seat before him. “How the hell did you know I went!?”

“Okay, Chiba-kun, it’s time,” announced their teacher, unperturbed. “After I give this next command, fire at will. Hayami-san, you’re on follow-up as the situation requires. You’re looking to block off the enemy’s movements. But before that, a word of advice for the two who don’t let their feelings show: when you failed at shooting me earlier today, you began to doubt your own skill. You don’t whine or make excuses, and your classmates forced their confidence onto you, thinking ‘ _surely they can handle it’_. No one would notice your anguish. But it’s all right. You don’t have to bear all that pressure alone. If you two miss, we’ll switch over to a strategy of shuffling people and guns around so no one can tell who’s pulling the trigger. We can use that strategy because everyone here has gone through training and has tasted failure. You have allies at your side who share your experience. So, with that peace of mind, go ahead and fire.”

Ame could only smile at his little speech. While her own words hadn’t seemed to get to the two snipers, maybe his will. While he was their target, he was also their teacher, after all: they’d take his lesson to heart.

And of course, it bought them some time.

“All right: here we go!”

“Student number 12! Stand and fire!”

Instantly, a dark figure rose up, gun in hands. The assassin instantly shot it in the head, realizing too late it actually was a dummy. As if on cue, Chiba stepped out from behind the seat and fired with confidence.

There was a moment of stillness.

Then, Gastro started laughing. “Eh, you missed! Now I know where the second one—argh!“

His body was violently hit by the stage lights that had suddenly fallen thanks to the brackets Chiba had hit and broken. The harsh blow, however, wasn’t enough to make him fall and, while a little shaken, he still managed to lift his gun at the boy.

“You damn brat—“

His weapon was however blasted away by a sure hit from Hayami. The gun landed further away on the stage. Startled at first, the assassin then collapsed. The rest of the students instantly came out of hiding to tie him up. When Ame rose to stand, though, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She grabbed the seat before her to steady herself, her vision doubling.

_Damn it…_

“—me-chan? Ame-chan!”

She blinked a few times, only then realizing Kaede was next to her, frowning.

“Are you—“

“ _Don’t. Ask_.”

The green-haired girl paled a little at her tone, nodding quickly. Gritting her teeth, Ame picked up her bag before quickly joining the others. Now that they had handled the three assassins, they should be able to reach the top floor without much more of a hassle and finally find out who was behind all of this.

_Just a little more time!_

* * *

Karasuma took a hold of the guard who had his back turned to them, trapping him in a chokehold. In less than three seconds, the man was knocked unconscious and the government agent released him, his body hitting the floor.

“I seem to be mostly moving again,” he remarked, flexing his fingers. “Figure I’m at about half-strength.”

“That’s still twice as strong as us,” sweatdropped Kimura.

“He should have just gone in alone,” agreed Kataoka.

They checked the following hallway. It was empty, no more guards standing around and, in the very back, there was another staircase behind glass doors—it would lead them to the top floor.

“We’re out of time,” warned Isogai, gritting his teeth.

“Students!” All turned to Korosensei, wondering what he wanted to say. “I’ve come to realize something about our mastermind waiting above: he’s using assassins all wrong.”

“What do you mean?” wondered Ame, having a hard time doing all the thinking on her own.

“Lookouts and guards—those aren’t jobs for assassins,” he explained. “If their potential had been used to the fullest, they’d have been fearsome indeed.”

“It’s true he wasn’t even a single centimeter off the mark…” recalled Chiba, shuddering a little.

“And Karma-kun—if that fellow had sneaked up on you from behind on any other day, his grip strength would have killed you instantly.”

“I… suppose so,” agreed the boy.

“What really bothers me is that Smog, Grip, and Gastro usually work closely with each other,” sighed Ame, leaning against the wall. She rubbed her temples, forcing herself to think. “Their employer separated them, for some reason, even though their greatest strength is when they work together. Had the three of them gone after us as one, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. My best guess is that their employer, whoever it is, is someone with a personal grudge: they’re trying to make us suffer for as long as they can.”

“So the one who’s after us isn’t an assassin, right?” understood Isogai. “He’s actually aiming at the class as a whole, and not only Korosensei.”

“Right.”

“All right, time to assign roles to each of you,” then announced Karasuma, drawing their attention. “First off: Isogai, Terasaka, Yoshida. I’d like you three to…”

Ame’s head started throbbing once again. Darkness edging on her vision, she closed her eyes tightly, trying to fight the effects. She had yet to understand why the toxin was working against her, but it reminded of her when she started building up her immunity.

_The only conclusion I can reach is… is…_

“Okay everyone, let’s move!” ordered Karasuma.

She shook her head, quickly following everyone.

She’d think it over once all of this was over and done with.

* * *

One after the other, the students entered the room, on Karasuma’s signal. Using the Namba silent walking technique Ame had been kind enough to teach them a while ago, they quickly made their way toward the chair in which their enemy was sitting. They stopped, barely a meter or two from the chair, knowing whoever had his back turned to them was their last obstacle at getting that remedy. Talking of remedy, though, Ame found it. It was in a silver mallet, just next to the chair.

_There’s a timer on it… Gee, that guy isn’t screwing around, is he? That’s a plastic explosive, Buta is always making those. He taught me how to stop one from exploding, but my head’s all fuzzy and I can’t remember what to do… Do I cut the wires first? Or try to take it off? Stop the timer?_

Karasuma signaled for the students to spread out. Just as he was about to give the signal to attack, though, their enemy moved.

“Itchy.” They all stiffened at his voice. Ame frowned at how familiar it seemed but failed to place it. “The very memory makes me itch. But maybe that’s why my senses have grown so much keener: because my wounds are always exposed to the air.”

Ame’s eyes widened when the man, still not facing them, threw a bunch of detonators in the air. They all landed on the floor, practically identical and too many to count.

“I told you, didn’t I?” _He knows we’re here. He knew as soon as we entered the room!_ “I’d come prepared to kill a Mach-20 monster. I have spare detonator remotes in case one is snatched away at high speed.” He showed off three others he was holding in his hand. “Enough to press any one of them if I happen to collapse.”

“Of the people I couldn’t reach, there were three assassins and one other,” then stated Karasuma, his gun aimed straight at their target, ready to fire. “An insider who vanished with Ministry of Defense secret-service funds and the assassination budget.”

The man in the chair moved again, this time rising to his feet to fully face them. Ame flinched, taking a step back as, before them, stood none other than their ex-physical education teacher.

_I can’t believe it—no, wait, it isn’t that much surprising, actually. But he- he—_

“What do you think you’re doing, Takaoka!?”

 _It’s him… It’s him… He hurt everyone again… He’s hurting them again…_ Ame’s mind was becoming a little more blurry each second passing. _Damn it… I said I’d protect them… but he’s back… He’s fucking back…_

“What naughty children…” His voice made her skin crawl. “Coming in the back door to see your dear teacher? That’s not how your good old dad raised you. Ah, well. I’ll have to give you some summertime tutoring, eh?” He picked up the mallet containing the remedy. “Shall we go to the roof? I’ve got everything ready to welcome my beloved students. You’ll follow me up there, right? After all, your class is only alive thanks to my benevolence.”

Ame gritted her teeth at that, her fists clenching tightly. However, much like everyone else present, she was utterly powerless. One wrong move on their end and he’d destroy the remedy, and they couldn’t let that happen.

 _She_ couldn’t let that happen.

 _I’ll protect them… I’ll save them…_ Ame’s feverish mind was now only focused on that single, simple goal. _I won’t let him hurt them… I’ll stop him… I’ll save them…_ Her eyes hardened. _By any mean necessary._

* * *

“Hiring assassins, threatening students with a virus—such atrocities…” Karasuma glared at the man. “Have you gone mad?”

“Now, now—I am exceedingly sane! This plan will save the world!” retorted Takaoka, grinning. “If only you’d sent that little runt and the bitch along to bring me the monster with a bounty, my assassination plan would’ve gone off without a hitch.”

“Bi- bitch yourself…” muttered Ame, swaying in place.

He knees buckled and she stumbled into Yoshida, who managed to catch her. “O- oi! Naoki!?”

“Ah, finally kicking in, uh?” snorted their ex-teacher. “I _did_ ask Smog to put double the dose in your drink, just in case. Couldn’t have you causing too much trouble, right? See, my plan involved you, mostly. The bathtub in my room here is filled with anti-Sensei BB’s. I’d have you go in there holding the target, then I’d bury you two alive in cement. For him to return to his usual form without touching those BB’s, he would have to blow everything up—including his precious student.” He started laughing. “But he cares too much for his students to do anything so heartless! So I figure he’d just do me a favor and melt away. And of course, after that, I’d cash in Naoki-chan’s bounty. You can never have too much money, right?”

“You’re… completely mad..” she spat, her grip tightening on Yoshida’s arm to keep herself standing. “Are you- are you the one… who put up that bounty…?”

“Aa? No, someone beat me to it,” he shrugged, somewhat uncaringly. “Though what a lovely idea, really! What better way to put you in your place for all the trouble you’ve caused me, right?”

She tried to answer, but her headache only seemed to worsen, killing the words before she could even formulate them properly. Takaoka’s grin only widened when he noticed her state.

“To be honest, it gave me a fright when I learned you all came here together,” he admitted, scratching his cheek. “In the end, though, it doesn’t really change what I have to do. My mood will determine how many of you will leave here alive.”

“Do you think you can get away with this?” then asked Korosensei, completely red. There were veins bulging all over his face too. “That there won’t be any consequences?”

“It’s the more humane route… compared to the inhumane way you’ve treated me!” retorted the madman. His grin lessened as he started scratching his face more harshly. “Their humiliating glances… and the knife you tricked me with… Whenever they cross my mind, my face gets so itchy I can’t even sleep at night! I’ll pay back my bad evaluations with results. I’ll take the humiliation I suffered and give it back in spades! You, in particular, Shiota Nagisa.” He pointed at the blue-haired boy, making everyone tense. “I will never forgive you for spoiling my future!”

“So when asking for Nagisa and Naoki, he was really aiming for the two who gave him a hard time back in class,” understood Chiba.

“Completely unjustified grudges!” protested Yoshida, still supporting Ame. He glanced at the girl. “Oi, you should sit down—“

“You really… really fell low, didn’t you, Takaoka?” she grunted, completely ignoring him. She somehow mustered the strength to glare at the man. “Can’t even accept a fair loss gracefully… And now you’re- you’re coming back for more…? Just jump… jump off that damn building already… Save us the trouble. I’ll be- I’ll be dead before you can… harm them…”

“Ah! With how much of the virus you ingested, it shouldn’t take too long, Na-o-ki-chan,” he replied, grinning again. “Though I don’t remember asking for your opinion. Still don’t know when to keep your mouth shut, uh? Don’t forget that I can get rid of half of you with just one finger!” he warned, showing off the detonator in his hand. He then looked at Nagisa again. “You. Shrimp. Come upstairs alone. To the heliport.”

On which he started walking up the stairs, still holding on tightly to the mallet containing the antidote to the virus. Ame cursed as she finally allowed Yoshida to help her sit down, knowing she couldn’t do more in the state she was in. Her headache was getting worse, bands of sweat were now running down her face and breathing was proving to be a challenge. And of course, the situation was driving her mad because all she could focus on was how she needed to protect them and _I need to get my hands on that remedy to save the others and I’m such a fucking utter failure I can’t even move on my own damn it damn it damn it—_

“Oi, get a move on already!”

“I’ll hear him out, talk him down, and get him to hand over the remedy in one piece,” stated firmly Nagisa, startling the others.

“Nagisa-kun…”

Nagisa went up to join Takaoka on the heliport. The rest of the students quickly went after him, Yoshida and Sugaya helping Ame up before following them while Kimura picked up her bag. They went to the railings, watching in worry as their classmate slowly approached the madman.

At his feet was a knife.

A _real_ knife.

“Takaoka!” barked Karasuma, aiming his gun at the man as he made a move on the detonator.

“Oh—don’t take this the wrong way,” replied the ex-teacher. “See, I don’t want you interrupting my precious time with Shiota Nagisa-kun.”

He pressed down on the button and, the following second, the heliport was shaken by small explosions. He had placed plastic bombs under the sole footbridge connecting the heliport to the upper floor of the Citadel, destroying Nagisa’s only way out—and their only way in.

“N- no!” Ame cursed, trying to climb over the fence.

“Oi! Naoki! Don’t be reckless!” protested Yoshida, holding her back.

“You can barely move, let alone make that jump!” added Sugaya, helping the other boy.

“But Nagisa—he needs—I can’t—“

“Ame!” She snapped her eyes to Karma. “Ame, you need to calm down. You’ve taken a lot more of the virus than the others and it might spread faster if you get agitated. You need to sit down and trust Nagisa, okay?”

_Trust him._

_I need to trust him._

She gritted her teeth at that, calming down. “I do… I _do_ trust him…” She looked back at the two opponents facing each other on the heliport. “But I don’t… I don’t trust Takaoka…”

He was right, though. It’s not like she could do much in the state she was in. If she tried anything, then Takaoka would destroy the remedy and half of her friends would surely meet an atrocious end.

She couldn’t let that happen.

She couldn’t.

_Damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it—_

No matter how she cursed herself, though, it didn’t change the situation. She could only watch as Takaoka instructed Nagisa to beg on his knees for forgiveness. She could only grit her teeth in anger as the boy obeyed, apologizing for “ _having pulled a dirty sneak attack_ ” because he “lacked any real skill”. She could only curse her uselessness as her friend got unfairly humiliated because that damned man had too fragile an ego.

“… I’m really sorry,” Nagisa finished, his forehead pressed against the ground.

_Damn it damn it damn it damn it—_

“Eh? Now you’re speaking from the heart,” mused Takaoka, taking his foot off the boy’s head. “Your dear old dad is so pleased! Oh, I know: as a reward, I’ll let you in on a little something.” Ame stiffened when he picked up the mallet containing the remedy. “I asked Smog what happens to the people who die from that virus. He showed me some pictures. What a laugh! Their bodies, covered in boils! Faces like bunches of grapes! Wouldn’t you like to see that, Nagisa-kun?”

Ame’s heart simply stopped beating as Takaoka suddenly threw the mallet in the air. She barely heard as Karasuma yelled out in horror and rage while their enemy activated the bomb. She couldn’t move as the mallet exploded, along with the antidote. She didn’t pay attention to her classmates’ horrified gasps, nor to Terasaka’s loud curses, nor to Okano’s whimpers. Her mind simply went numb as she watched the lives of her friends extinguish one by one like flickering flames shoved under water.

_He… killed them…?_

_I… failed…?_

* * *

Takaoka started laughing uncontrollably. “Yes! That’s the face I wanted to see! You ought to put it in your summer diary—your friends’ faces, bubbling up like so many grapes!”

Nagisa looked back to his classmates, his eyes landing on Terasaka. The boy had been affected by the virus, too, but had kept on going, not wanting to drag everyone down. Now, though, now he just looked defeated as the virus gained more and more ground… His eyes shifted to Ame, who had taken a double dosage of that damned poison. She was frozen in place, her head lowered and her hair hiding her face, which he knew was scrunched up in pain.

_I- I couldn’t do it… I failed them… Terasaka-kun… Ame-san… and- and everyone else…_

“Na- Naoki!?”

Karasuma’s startled shout snapped him out of his daze. His eyes widened when he saw the girl suddenly climbing over the fence. Before anyone could stop her, she pounced. The following second, she landed on the heliport. Slowly, one step at a time, she started approaching them.

When seeing her so feeble, though, Takaoka could only laugh some more.

“Look at you! Still going even though you already lost, uh?” he chortled. “Want a beating too? Is that it?”

She stopped walking just next to Nagisa, her head still hanging low. Then, she lifted her arm. It was shaking badly and she was forced to use her other hand to steady it, but she lifted it fully… until the gun she was holding was perfectly aimed at Takaoka’s face.

 _That gun…!_ Karasuma’s eyes widened. _When did she—_

“She- she took mine!” gasped Chiba, startled. “I didn’t even notice…!?”

“How can she still move like that after taking double the dose of that virus?” gaped Kimura, eyes wide.

“Damn it, Takaoka’s going to trash her!” cursed Yoshida.

“A- Ame-chan…” whispered Kaede, worried.

“Ame!!!” called out Karma, hands clenched tightly over the railing. “Damn it, don’t be an idiot!”

“She’s not fine! We need to do something!” exclaimed Yada.

“We need to help her and Nagisa!” added Fuwa. “We—“

“ _TAKAOKA_!”

The girl’s angry shout drew their attention back on the main event of that terrible night. She was barely able to stand, her legs threatening to give in at any second, but she kept her hands steady as she cocked her weapon at their enemy, glaring fiercely.

“Ooh?” Takaoka seemed to be enjoying himself. “Pretty daring to point that thing at me. Are you sure you can handle it? It’s a real gun, girl, not a toy.”

“Shut up!” Her grip tightened on the weapon. “Ya hurt everyone… just ‘cause ya were too fucking _weak_ ta handle having lost fair and square ta Nagisa… I’ll have yer head, Takaoka! Ya hear me!? If I can’t save everyone, THEN I’LL TAKE YA TA HELL WITH ME!!!”

“And how would you do that, uh!?” he retorted, his voice taunting and his grin only widening. He spread his arms wide, leaving his chest open. “You’re just a kid! You can barely stand on your own, let alone go against me! You might have a gun, but you don’t have the guts to use it! You don’t have what it takes to be a _killer_ —“

Ame fired twice. The first bullet completely went over his head, but the second grazed his left ear. He cursed loudly, taking a step back as the gunshots echoed like thunder into the dizzying silence that weighted over them. Nagisa’s hands had flown over his ears as he flinched away from the girl, and Okano let out a startled scream.

None of it managed to snap Ame out of her daze, though.

“I KILLED ONCE BEFORE AND I CAN DO IT AGAIN!” she snapped, eyes blazing and her entire body now shaking. “DON’T GO THINKING YOU’RE ANYTHING SPECIAL! YOU WON’T BE MY FIRST, SO JUST DIE ALREADY!!!”

Karasuma’s eyes widened at that, while the rest of the students stiffened.

_What… did she say…?_

::

_“You think that was me losing control?” snorted Ame, rubbing the back of her head. “Hell, you’ll know when I actually lose control, trust me on that.”_

::

“Na- Naoki-san!” exclaimed Korosensei, worried. “Don’t! You cannot kill him! I forbid it!”

“Why shouldn’t I!? He just killed everyone else!” she yelled back, eyes wide and unfocused. “Scum like that should just die on da spot!!!”

Just as the words left her mouth, though, a cloaked figure suddenly pushed through the horrified students still watching. Climbing over the fence, the newcomer then gracefully jumped onto the heliport and, in a flash, reached the girl. The man (from his height and broad shoulders, it was easy to guess the stranger was a _he_ ) covered Ame’s eyes with his left hand, his right one going to grab hers, taking a hold of her gun.

“Ame, that’s enough,” he stated plainly, his voice heard by everyone present.

“W- what? Where’d he come from?” gasped Sugaya, startled. “Who is that?”

“Saru…?” Ame’s broken whisper still managed to reach them.

“That’s enough,” he repeated softly, not taking his hand off her eyes. “Drop the gun, Ame.”

“I- I can’t! He hurt everyone, and now they’re gonna die and I couldn’t stop him and—“

“You’re not a killer, Ame.”

She started shaking even more and, after a moment of stillness, she dropped the gun. As soon as it hit the ground, the girl collapsed in Saru’s arms, struggling to breathe properly due to sheer exhaustion. Exhaling in relief, the man easily picked her up bridal style, before glancing at Nagisa, who was staring up at him in wonder—still under shock.

“Boy, do you think you can handle the rest from here?” he asked, somewhat somberly. “I’d love to take care of him myself, but I kind of have my hands full right now.”

Nagisa could only nod slowly, still unsure of what to make of the situation. Sensing his hesitation, Saru offered him a small smile, before turning around and heading back from where he came from.

“O- oi!” snapped Takaoka, finally regaining his senses. “Who’re you, bastard!?”

“A very pissed off man. Don’t anger me more if you wish to keep your head attached to your body,” warned the man, his tone now as cold as ice and his usual smile nowhere to be seen.

At the sheer killing intent suddenly emanating from the man, Takaoka backed down. Karasuma and the tentacle-monster, he could handle just fine. But that guy? He was in a league of his own, even he could understand that much.

Without an ounce of effort despite the added weight, Saru jumped back on the exterior platform where the rest of the students were still watching everything, dumbstruck by his sudden appearance. As soon as he landed next to them, though, Karasuma turned his gun against him.

“Who are you?” he barked. “What do you want with this student?”

“Relax, teach,” replied the man, not in the mood for pleasantries. “I’m Ame’s… caretaker, if you want to see it that way. If you don’t mind, I have to go and take care of that nasty poison. We don’t have a remedy, but I’ve got something that should slow down the effects until we get our hands on it. Think you can handle that part?”

Karasuma was thinking fast. On one hand, they still had Takaoka to handle, plus finding a way to get some more of the antidote. On the other hand, an unknown man with the skills of a pro assassin had just shown up and more or less kidnapped Naoki.

“Karasuma-sensei, he’s saying the truth,” suddenly stated Fuwa, calmer than the others.

The agent narrowed his eyes at that. “How do you know that?”

“The ring he’s wearing. It’s the same as Ame’s, isn’t it?”

At that, he instantly snapped his eyes back to the man’s hands. Just as told, on the middle finger of his left hand was a ring, identical to the one Naoki was wearing. 

“You’ve got a fine eye,” praised Saru, somewhat surprised he had been found out so easily. “One way or another, though, none of us can afford to waste much time, now.” Without warning, he threw something at Fuwa. “Here you go, girl. There’s only one number in there. Call as soon as you have the remedy.”

“Wait!” then protested Terasaka. “Where are you taking her? How can we know you’re not one of those damn assassins who’s just pretendin’, uh?”

“You can’t. Though, at the moment, I’d say you have a bigger fish to fry.”

On which he turned on his heels and, without warning, jumped once again to reach the lower floor, completely ignoring the stairs. He was gone in a flash and the students and teachers could only stare at the spot where he had been standing not a second earlier.

 _Damn it…_ cursed Karasuma, reporting his attention on the other situation.

There wasn’t much he could do. He’d handle Naoki’s situation later. For now, they needed to take care of Takaoka—once and for all.


	21. Twenty-First Period: Bonding Time PART 1

"We- we beat him! We beat the boss!"

"Yosh!"

The students started cheering in relief when Takaoka's body hit the ground. Nagisa had managed to beat the madman without killing him! It didn't take too long for them to join him on the heliport, glad it was finally over.

Well, _almost_ over.

"I'm fine, but… now what?" asked Nagisa, rubbing the back of his head. "The remedy we took off Takaoka-sensei won't be enough."

"And Ame was whisked away by that mysterious guy, too," added Karma, frowning a little.

"Let's get out of here, at least," suggested Karasuma with a sigh. "I've called a chopper; you wait here. I'll bring up the poisoner. As for Naoki—"

"Ah. You don't need no stinkin' remedy."

At the new voice, everyone turned around, only to find three familiar figures standing on the edge of the heliport. They tensed when recognizing Gastro, Grip, and Smog—the three assassins. Despite being thoroughly beaten earlier, they didn't seem in too bad a shape.

"You brats thought you could get out of here alive, eh?" added the gunner with a taunting smirk.

"We've defeated the man who hired you," replied calmly Karasuma as all students took a fighting stance. "You're out of reasons to fight. I've mostly recovered, and these students are plenty strong. How about we stop now before anyone else gets hurt?"

"Yeah, okay," agreed easily Gastro, licking his gun.

"You just don't know when to give up—uh?" Yoshida blinked dumbly a few times. "Uh!? _Okay?"_

"Our contracts don't cover avenging the boss," shrugged the gunner. "Besides, it's like I said: you don't need any antidote."

"This here is what I gave you," announced Smog, showing off a silver container. "An improvement of the food-poisoning bug. It'll keep going strong for another thirty hours or so, but then it'll lose its oomph—and with it, its poison." He then showed them a vial. "Now, _this_ is what our boss told us to use. If we'd used this, you'd be in dire straits."

"Right before using that virus, we three talked it over, hm," explained Grip who, for some reason, was now dressed up as a woman. "Our boss only gave you one hour, hm. We figured we could do the handover without resorting to a deadly virus, hm."

"It was enough to make you feel like your lives were in danger, anyway," added Gastro with a shrug.

"So you went against orders?" understood Okano, puzzled. "Can you do that when he's paying you?"

"What are you, stupid?" retorted the mad gunner. "If you think pros will do anything for money, you got another thing coming. Of course, we'll do our best to abide by our client's wishes… but he never had any intention of giving you that remedy. Either we become killers of a bunch of respectable high-junior kids or we take a hit to our professional standing. We just calmly weighed which option carried more risk from here on out."

"And that's why, sorry to say, _none_ of you will be dying," assured Smog, a tad amused. He threw another vial at Nagisa, who easily caught it. "Give the patients that supplement and put them to bed. Per the testimonials, they'll feel even better than before they were sick."

"Should we give double the dose to Ame-chan?" wondered Kaede, looking closely at the vial.

"Ame—oh, you mean that girl?" Smog chuckled a little. "Man, I was startled to see her still standing, to be honest. I guess she doesn't have a bounty for naught, right?"

At that, the students did tense a little again.

"Oh, why those faces?" grunted Gastro. "Bounty or not, the kid's still a kid. We'll wait until she's a little farther up the list, at least."

"The same dose of supplements as for the others," then answered the poisoner. "It might take a little longer for her to recover fully, but the result will be the same."

"I'll believe it once I see all of those students recovered," replied Karasuma, though relieved. Even though they were assassins, he could trust them as pros. "I'll have to detain you for a while for questioning."

"Maa, maa, it's fine," shrugged Gastro. "You've got a week to wind it up before the next job starts."

At the same moment, the chopper Karasuma had called for arrived. Some agents arrived to tie up Takaoka to a stretcher while the assassins began heading toward it to climb in.

"Eh? What's that?" called Karma, making Grip stop in his tracks. He grinned evilly, showing off his supply of hot mustard and wasabi. "Not going for a revenge match, buddy, hm? Isn't your grudge strong enough to want me dead?"

"I don't kill people out of spite, hm," replied simply the man. He passed by Karma, patting him on the head once. "I'll wait for the day someone put a hit out on you, hm. You need to become someone worth targeting, hm."

"And there you have it, kids!" exclaimed Gastro as they stepped on the chopper. "If you really want us to come to kill you, you gotta make it big! Then we'll give you the pro assassin's grand tour!"

The students could simply watch them leave, somewhat in awe and shock at the same time, and obviously relieved, too. In the end, all was for the better.

"Oh!" Fuwa pulled out the phone that strange man had given her earlier. "Karasuma-sensei, should I call this guy to tell him about the situation?"

"… yes. For now, we'll assume he's an ally," sighed the man, not knowing what else to do. "If we don't have news of Naoki by morning, we'll come back to find her."

"R- right!"

Fuwa turned on the phone and selected the only number present. Bringing it to her ear as everyone gathered around to try and listen, she only had to wait for a single ring to pass before someone picked up.

**"Ooh, Fuwa-chan, right? I'm so glad you called!"**

She blinked a few times at that. "Ano… You're the man from earlier, right? Err, how do you know—"

**"I know all of Ame's friends, of course! Anyway, she's been administered a temporary fix that should slow down the effects of the poison, but it won't be enough. Since you're calling, I'm guessing Nagisa-kun beat that guy after all, right? Is there any sample of that remedy left, even if it's on the ground? We've got someone who can replicate it easily and in no time, so we can—"**

**"S- Saru!"** Everyone's eyes widened at Ame's voice. " **Ugh, give it here already—hello? Fuwa?"**

"A- Ame!" she gasped, surprised. "Are you alright?"

 **"I feel like shit, but the fix I was given helped me gain back my senses somehow,"** sighed the girl, obviously tired. **"Tell me you have good news, _please."_**

"More than good news, Ame-chan!" then exclaimed Kaede, beaming. "The virus you were given is just an improvement of the food-poisoning bug, or so that assassin said. They weren't aiming to kill us, actually, so you won't need a remedy or anything. He _did_ give us some supplement and told us to administer it to those infected, though."

**"Really? Oh, I'm so glad… Don't worry about the supplements, though, keep it for the others. Everyone's gonna be fine, then, right? And is Nagisa okay?"**

"I- I'm fine, Ame-san," confirmed the boy. "Everyone is, or will be."

 **"That's great to hear."** They could all hear the distinct relief in her voice. **"I doubt I'll be allowed out of the room until I've recovered, though. I'll come back to the hotel tomorrow. Is that okay, Karasuma-sensei?"**

"… Aa. I expect an explanation, though," gave in the agent.

**"I'll do what I can. See you guys tomorrow, then."**

"Rest well, Ame!" replied Fuwa.

The communication was cut off but, as soon as Fuwa pulled the phone away, it started sizzling. Startled, she dropped it and, as soon as it hit the ground, a few sparks flew around and it seemed to implode, considering the smoke pouring out and the screen flickering before it went dark.

 _They're very careful to cover their tracks, uh?_ Karasuma was starting to have a fairly good idea of what Ame was involved in, but he'd rather not rush to conclusions. _Well, I'm just glad everything turned out okay. It was our greatest battle as of yet… Questions can wait for tomorrow. Right now, everyone deserves their rest._

* * *

_"That- that was Saru's technique!"_

_Ame had spoken up as soon as Nagisa left after learning that "surefire technique" from Lovro. The man in question glanced at Ame, lifting an eyebrow._

_"So I was right," he mused. "He taught it to you?"_

_"Yeah, so what?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "And now that I think about it, I still don't know how you know Saru."_

_"I know him because I was his teacher," he answered plainly._

_"Wait, what?"_

_"Saru was once an assassin. He gave up that way of life many years ago to become an info-broker, but he excelled as a student and as a pro assassin," explained Lovro. "I taught him that surefire technique, making him promise me one thing before we parted ways."_

_"… which was?"_

_"To only teach it to his successor."_

_"Aa? What do you—"_

_"Naoki Ame." She stiffened as Lovro suddenly towered over her, staring at her as if he was reading her very soul. "Although he's probably still waiting to tell you, I believe Saru has been training you to become the next leader of the Zodiac."_

_"T- that's crazy!" she instantly protested, taking a step back. "As if I could do that! I'm too young and not everyone's okay with me being a member—there's no way I could become the leader!"_

_"Saru always keeps his word, you'd know that better than anyone else," he replied simply. He then started walking away. "If he taught you this surefire technique, then it means he has great expectations of you. I'd suggest you do not disappoint them."_

_She could only gape dumbly as he walked away as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb on her._

* * *

Thanks to the information they received about the actual nature of the virus, Ame was administered a nice dose of the proper anti-toxin by Saru before the man forced her to get in bed and get some rest. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. When she woke up, it was the middle of the next day, way past dinner time.

"I'm surprised you're up so early," mused Saru, who was sitting next to her bed with a book in hands. "From what I've heard, your classmates have yet to wake up. That was a pretty exhausting night, after all."

"Ugh, tell me about it," she groaned, sitting up. "I've got an awful taste in my mouth…"

"Knew you would. Here, drink this."

She gratefully took the gigantic glass of water he offered her, downing it in one go. Once she was done, she handed it back, before looking back at him. After a moment of silence, she lowered her head.

"… I'm sorry."

"What for?" he replied, still reading his book.

"I disobeyed a direct order. I knew to go into the Citadel was dangerous and you specifically told me not to, but I ignored your orders and came anyway." Her head lowered even more. "I'm sorry."

After a moment of stillness, she stiffened as his hand suddenly fell on her head, gently stroking her hair in a comforting manner. Surprised, she looked back at him, only to find him smiling.

"Ame, you disobeyed my order to save your friends," he remarked, his smile widening. "I'm proud of you."

"… but I didn't do anything. I ended up being a deadweight and when- when Takaoka blew up the antidote, I just snapped…" She shuddered a little.

To be honest, the memory was kind of like a blur, but she did remember parts of it.

::

_"I KILLED ONCE BEFORE AND I CAN DO IT AGAIN!"_

::

"The others… Everyone…" Her voice turned to a whisper. "What will they think of me…?"

"They'll understand. You just have to explain, right?" he replied.

She snorted derisively at that. "As if I could face them after all of this."

"Well, not like you have much of a choice," he shrugged, getting up. "I'm not giving you a ride back, so you either come back with them or stay stuck here."

"Asshole," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

He simply laughed at that, this time ruffling her hair. "Good to have you back, Ame. To be honest, you had me worried. When I saw you with that gun in your hands…"

::

_"Ame, watch out!"_

_The gun fired._

::

"Thank you, Saru." She offered him a tentative smile. "For stopping me."

"Of course. Now, get some more rest. I need to go back, but you have the room till tonight," he informed, picking up his traveling bag. "There's a card on the desk that'll give you access to the elevators and all that. Use it to check out—you won't have any problems. I'll see you when you get back, okay?"

"Okay. Later, Saru."

"Later."

As he left, Ame couldn't help but think back to that flashback she had dreamt of last night. She easily recalled what Lovro had told her, and she couldn't help but wonder if that was why Saru looked out for her so much. In the end, though, she had decided against asking him.

She'd ask later, once she fully got her mind back on track.

* * *

.

.

She ended up leaving an hour or so later. She didn't exactly feel at ease resting in such a dangerous place, even less one she had infiltrated under such pressure just a day earlier. When she checked out, she was given an escort that had been tasked with taking her back to the hotel, but she arrived much faster than she had hoped for.

She had yet to figure out how to explain everything to the others.

She sighed, deciding to take the long way around by the beach before heading inside. Her feet dragging in the sand, she stopped in her tracks when the water washed over them. She looked at the ocean spreading before her eyes, water and sky joining in the horizon and blurring the line between Earth and Heaven.

_It's beautiful…_

For a moment, she truly wished she could enjoy this moment with the rest of her family. Now that the excitement of the previous day died down, she felt somewhat homesick. It was the first time she spent so much time away from them, and there was still another day to go, but she really wanted to hug her grandmother right about now.

_What would she think… if she knew her granddaughter had killed someone?_

Thinking back, she understood that killing Takaoka would have gotten her in real trouble. True, it would have been a form of self-defense, but they had a special-forces agent on their side acting as their leading officer. He surely would have taken responsibility but, with the target the government had put on her back, she wouldn't have escaped the consequences. That meant her grandmother and the children would have learned what she did… and she couldn't bear the thought of them seeing her as a killer--a _monster._

She sat down on the sand, the water licking her feet from time to time as she gazed upon the ocean. Without really thinking, she pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and lightened one, before placing it in her mouth. As she puffed out some smoke, time seemed to come at a standstill here. This place felt peaceful, with no pressure or worries or expectations. Here, on this remote island, she was, ironically enough, _safe._

She couldn't really remember the last time she felt that way.

_I've been on edge ever since learning about my situation and I've always had someone watching me. It's reassuring but, at the same time, it feels a little suffocating. Each morning I get up wondering if today is the day I'll get killed. I keep an eye out for threats, knowing death might be lingering just around the corner… It's exhausting._

She tensed a little when sensing a presence approach. It wasn't an enemy, far from it, but she was scared all the same.

"Ame-san?"

"… hey."

She didn't bother inviting Isogai to sit with her, didn't even glance at him. She simply brought her knees to her chest, afraid she'd truly lose it all if she spoke up, and she took another smoke in hopes it'd help her calm down. A single wrong word, and all of those special bonds she had built with the others would vanish in an instant, after all.

"… I didn't know you smoke, Ame-san."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Isogai-kun. What do you want?"

She couldn't help it. She wanted to try and explain herself, maybe make amends for what she had said and done, but she couldn't find the right words, and the only solution she found to this problem was to raise her walls again.

"Everyone was pretty worried about you, you know?" the boy then stated, standing just behind her.

"I'm fine."

"If you were, you'd be in the hotel with the others," he however replied, sitting down just next to her. "What's wrong?"

"… what's wrong?" She let out a humorless laugh, the cigarette hanging between her fingers. "What's _wrong,_ you ask? I snapped and almost killed the bastard, that's what's wrong! And I- I said things none of you should have heard, said things none of you should have ever learned about. How am I supposed to face any of you after this?"

"Ame-san, if I may… you've always been pretty mysterious," remarked slowly Isogai, carefully picking his words. "You rarely talk about your life outside of school, and you've got those abilities that could easily make you pass as a pro… We've come to understand that the secrets you keep are your own, and we're okay with that."

"You're okay with not knowing?" she scoffed. "As if."

"We're not okay with not knowing, but we're okay knowing you'll tell us _someday,_ on your own," he shrugged. He then sat down next to her. "Knowing you'll trust us enough to share those secrets of yours when the time comes."

"You just learned I killed someone before. Are you sure you want to know more?" she retorted, a tad bitterly.

What naïve talk that was! As if that boy knew anything. He talked of waiting and understanding, but he couldn't possibly believe—

"Bitch-sensei killed a lot of people too, didn't she?" _Wait, what?_ "And Karasuma-sensei… Well, he's a special-forces agent: he's bound to have killed people too. And all those assassins we keep running into, it's pretty much their job, isn't it? To kill people." He chuckled a little. "We're not a normal class either. In case you've forgotten, we've been training to kill our teacher for months now. Once this is all over… once this is all over, there'll be one more killer walking this earth--one of _us_. So, what makes you any different?"

"We're trying to kill Korosensei to save the planet," replied the girl, frowning. "And Karasuma-sensei and Bitch-sensei do that for their jobs, and—"

"And you did it to protect someone, didn't you?" She stiffened at that, looking at him for the first time since he arrived. He offered her a tentative smile at that. "Like you were ready to do in order to protect everyone, back on the heliport."

She kept silent for a moment after that, her mind buzzing, a tad overwhelmed.

"… the man you met that night is a precious friend of mine," she then admitted, a little out of the blue, her voice low. "A teacher. A brother, even. A few years ago, though, he ran into some trouble."

::

_"Saru? Saru! Where are you!?"_

_"Ooh? Look at that! Looks like someone found you after all," chortled a man, kicking Saru in the side. "Who's she, your daughter? How unfortunate, really."_

_"D- don't touch her!" warned Saru, though he was too injured to move on his own. He turned to Ame, who was standing in the doorway. "Ame, get out of here! Call for backup!"_

_She was staring at him, eyes wide. All she could focus on was how he was hurt and how that man kept laughing and how he'd probably hurt Saru even more if she didn't do anything, if she left as he told her to, if she ran like a god damn coward—_

_"Ame, watch out!"_

_The gun fired._

::

"It took me a few seconds to realize that _I_ was the one who had fired," she admitted, running a hand through her hair. "I didn't really understand what was going on, blinded by rage still, and I only snapped back to reality when that man collapsed due to the bullet I put through straight his head. After that, though… after that, I wasn't able to fire a gun again. I started getting uneasy, sick even, whenever I held a gun or even saw one. Hearing a gunshot was the worst but, as years passed, I grew accustomed to it, I guess. Never got worse, never really got any better, either." She looked down at her right hand at that. If she focused hard enough, she could still feel the weight of the gun. "Yesterday evening was the first time I held a gun since the incident."

They stayed silent for a while. She did leave out the part where it was her fault that Saru got captured in the first place since it'd be hard to explain without mentioning the Zodiac, but she had told him the truth, and she was now awaiting judgment.

"Then I was right," he mused. "You _did_ do it to protect someone."

"I still—"

"You still killed him, I know. But one way or another, it's not like me or any of the others could really judge you for it," he pointed out, rising to his feet. "If we can accept Karasuma-sensei and Bitch-sensei and even Korosensei when knowing he's going to _destroy the planet_ , of all things, then why couldn't we accept a girl who's ready to do anything to protect her friends?"

"I- Isogai-kun…"

She could only gape as he extended his hand to her.

"We trust you, Ame-san. _I_ trust you." He smiled at her once again. "And I'm glad you trusted me with your secret, even if it's only one amongst so many. The first of many, hopefully."

After a few more seconds, Ame placed the tip of her cigarette in the water to drench it, before shoving it in her pocket. After what, she grabbed his hand. He helped her back to her feet, and she offered him a tentative smile.

"Thanks, Isogai-kun."

"Well, what are friends for?"

This time, he offered her a big, bright grin. It took her by surprise, how genuine that smile was. How could he have such a pure expression on his face when knowing what he knew and having done what he had done? When he had seen the world in its true, ugly form?

For some reason, her cheeks turned red.

"Let- let's go back!" she stammered out, spinning on her heels to head back to the hotel. "If I stay away from everyone any longer, Rio will have my head!"

He laughed at that. "I'm afraid it might be a bit too late for that. You gave her quite the scare by not coming back with us, after all."

She simply nodded, picking up the pace. The last thing she wanted was to face Rio's wrath, but the sooner she got it over with, the better. Though, of course, there was another, puzzling reason behind her sudden eagerness to return.

_Why… why is my heart beating so fast?_

* * *

"AME!"

"Rio—gah!"

Both girls fell on the floor with a 'THUD'. Ame groaned, knowing it'd leave a bruise.

"Rio…" she whined.

"Ah ah, sorry!" The blonde rose back up and extended her hand to her. "Here, up you go!"

Ame was back on her feet the next second and, this time, her friend hugged her properly. Their moment of peace was however of short notice as Rio suddenly remembered exactly _why_ Ame only showed up now.

"You dumbass!" she exclaimed, whacking her head. "You're so fricking stupid! Why'd you had to go and push yourself when you got double the dose of that stupid virus, uh? You could have died had it been the real deal!"

"I thought my immunity had gotten rid of it," grunted the black-haired girl. "I—"

"And then you only come back now? Do you know how worried I was when I didn't you see with everyone else?" Rio grabbed her shoulders, shaking her a little. "I thought- I thought—"

"Rio, I'm fine," chuckled Ame. "I—"

"I thought you had _died!"_

The black-haired girl blinked a few times at Rio's exclamation, and it's only then that she noticed the tears the blonde was fighting back. The tight grip she had on her shoulders wasn't to keep her from escaping but to ensure Rio that she was really back, safe and sound.

"You're always doing this… Going so far to try and help everyone…" Rio choked a little, her grip tightened. "Why can't you care about yourself a little more, uh? Why do you _always_ have to put yourself in danger? Like what happened during our school trip, or with Shiro-san, or with Takaoka-sensei, and now this…"

"… Aa. I'm sorry, Rio," Ame replied softly. She offered her an apologetic smile. "I promise I'll be more careful next time around."

"There shouldn't _be_ a next time!" Rio protested, however accepting her apology.

She released Ame, quickly wiping away her tears, before grinning at her. Ame grinned back, and they bumped fists together.

"Good to have you back."

"Good to be back."

* * *

.

.

Everyone was fine, and everyone greeted Ame back with warm smiles or some cheers. None of them mentioned the incident with the gun, and she could only wonder if Isogai had something to do with it. Also, she had yet to run into any of the teachers since they were apparently preparing a big-scale assassination to get rid of Korosensei once he returned to his normal shape, but she knew she wouldn't be able to hold off on her explanation much longer. She didn't intend on telling them about the Zodiac, of course. Just keep it to the basics, just like how Hana had done with Korosensei.

"I see everyone's in their school jerseys, eh?" mused Hara.

"We're the only guests, and these are nice and comfy," shrugged Sugino.

"And it'd be cruel to have to think up a whole new day's worth of outfits," added Fuwa.

Ame simply chuckled at the faces her friends made. That would have been a comment Uma made, so she was used to it, although she didn't really understand it herself. All of the students had gathered on the beach to watch the assassination attempt take place—and fail, of course. Korosensei had already warned them it wouldn't work, but Karasuma just had to go and try his luck anyway.

"I hope Karasuma-sensei won't be too annoyed when Korosensei escapes," she nonchalantly remarked. "He's been leading the charge without rest since that whole mess with the virus ended, from what I've gathered."

"He shows no signs of fatigue at all," pointed out Kimura. "He's amazing!"

"He really is. Wonder if we'll be as awesome as him in ten years," wondered Sugino.

"I doubt anyone could be as awesome as Karasuma-sensei," snorted Ame, sitting down. "He's in a league of his own."

"Though, Korosensei might get the best of him if he keeps foiling his plans, uh?" replied Rio, amused. "Karasuma-sensei will have grey hair by the end of the year."

Ame grinned at that. "Yet he'd still be able to kick all of our asses to the moon and back if he wanted to."

"Ah! True enough!" laughed the blonde.

Before anyone could add anything, though, the whole island shook violently as, in the gigantic construction in which Korosensei had been placed, an explosion occurred. It pierced through the top of the weird prison, heavy smoke rising to the sky.

"He- he exploded!" exclaimed Isogai.

"Did we get him!?" gasped Maehara.

"Repeat that question and hear how dumb it sounds," deadpanned Ame, rolling her eyes.

"Niryufufufu!"

"Right," sweatdropped the flirt.

Because of course, their assassination target had managed to escape without even losing a tentacle. From the face Karasuma made, though, Ame could tell he had already expected this to happen. In the end, he had probably done it simply because the government couldn't let such a chance go to waste. So, turning around like pretty much everyone else, the girl found their un-killable teacher right behind them.

"You suffered so much on account of my cowardice," he then sighed. "But you battled enemies and a virus—and did a fine job, too."

"Good morning, Korosensei," simply greeted Nagisa. He smiled. "You're just not the same without your tentacles."

"Yes, good morning. Now, let's enjoy the rest of our trip, shall we?" suggested the octopus.

"But we're going back tomorrow morning, aren't we?" recalled Sugino.

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Korosensei, horrified. "I haven't enjoyed myself nearly enough, having spent so much of the trip in my Absolute Defense Form!!!"

"If you had just died when we tried to kill you, you wouldn't have been stuck in that form for so long," retorted Ame, stretching her arms.

"Gah! This is a one-time thing: summer camp with my students!" In a flash, multiple clones of their teacher appeared all over the beach, doing all sorts of activities all at once. "We can't waste a single second! We _—gah!_ What are you doing!?"

Karma grinned at that, cocking his gun at their teacher to fire again. "You just said not to waste a single second."

"Ah, yes, Karma-kun. Wait until your target lets down his—"

Their teacher was cut off as many of the students joined in and started firing at him. Knowing something like that would come up, Ame had put in her earplugs earlier, so she wasn't bothered by it. She could only laugh as their teacher started panicking, trying to avoid all of the bullets.

"He's got a point, though," mused Kataoka. "We've got to make the most of the time we have!"

"I'm all for that!" cheered Kurahashi.

Ame could only blink dumbly as all of the girls pulled off their school jerseys, revealing the bathing suits they were wearing underneath. Only Kaede seemed as taken aback as she was, since neither of them had been planning on going for a swim.

"Ame, come on!" urged Rio, pulling her toward the water.

"I don't have a bathing suit and this jersey is the only non-dirty thing I can wear," instantly refused the black-haired girl. "Just go and have some fun—"

"No way!" The blonde suddenly shoved a plastic bag in her hands. "I knew you would _conveniently_ forget to bring a bathing suit, so I brought another one just for you!"

"Rio, I can't—"

"Put it on and join us!" ordered firmly the blue-eyed girl. She grinned cheekily. "That's the only way I'll forgive you for scaring the crap out of me!"

Ame gaped at that. "What? I thought I was already forgiven!"

"You will be if you put it on~!"

"Rio, wait, I _don't—Rio!"_

But the blonde simply laughed, joining the rest of the girls. Cursing under her breath, Ame spun on her heels to head back to the bathroom and get changed. She was fully aware Rio was guilt-tripping her into it, but it still worked, and that was that.

* * *

Rio knew her too well. The swimsuit was actually a black sports top along with a pair of matching shorts. It hid most of her scars, which was perfect. So, tying up her hair in a ponytail, she then stepped outside to join the others, as per Rio's orders. Once she reached the beach, though, it was only to find the girls beating up a very nude Okajima.

"Let me guess: he was being a perv again," she sweatdropped.

"Yeah, well, that's Okajima for—" Isogai stopped talking, only then noticing what she was wearing. "Ame-san…"

"What?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest, her tone somewhat defensive.

He simply smiled, though. "You look more relaxed like that. It suits you."

She blinked a few times at that, startled, before offering back a smile. "It's just as you said, isn't it? I ought to trust you guys, after all that's happened. I might not be much right now, but I'll do better. I promise."

"Ooh?" Maehara suddenly slung an arm around her shoulders. "Is the Ice Queen finally opening her heart?"

"I'm not that bad, you stupid flirt," she huffed.

"Says the girl who has like, five knives somehow hidden on her body right now," deadpanned the boy.

"… how'd you know?"

He paled, quickly backing away. "I was joking, damn it!"

She simply grinned at that, though. "I know. Me too."

He seemed startled for a moment. Who knew Naoki Ame could crack an actual, non-morbid joke? He then laughed, pleasantly surprised, and the girl soon joined in.

From further away, in the water, Rio smiled softly at the sight. Like everyone else who had gotten sick, she had heard from those who had gone on that stealth mission what exactly had happened while they were all bedridden. To be frank, she wasn't that much surprised when Isogai told them what exactly Ame had revealed. After all, her friend had always been mysterious to the extreme and somewhat morbid, and she always had a feeling her secrets (or at least, most of them) were better off unknown. From how Ame acted and talked, from what she said and did, it was simply easy to guess the girl wasn't exactly the… innocent, kind.

So no, Rio didn't think any less of Ame when learning she had killed someone. Much like Isogai and many who had come to know the girl better, she had simply guessed her friend had done it to protect someone precious to her and left it at that.

What she _had_ been worried about was how it'd affect Ame. She had worked so hard to keep her classmates away from the truth, and then she went and yelled for the world to hear probably one of the worst secrets she possessed. Frankly, she was scared that, after all those months during which Ame grew closer to the students and forged new bonds, all of this progress would be erased and Ame would go back to that aloof, reserved and _closed_ persona of hers.

 _I'm glad_ , she thought as she saw the small, genuine smile on Ame's lips. _I'm glad you finally found people you can trust, and I'm glad to be one of them._

"Oi, Ame!" she called, gaining the girl's attention. "Get in the water already! Don't let my gift go to waste!"

"Loan," corrected the black-haired teen, however walking toward her. "I am _not_ keeping this."

"But it suits you."

"And it's yours, so you keep it."

"If it's mine, then I can decide what I do with it, and I've decided to give it to you."

Ame groaned at that. "You're annoying, you know that?"

"Aw, you love me anyway!" teased the blonde, throwing her arms around the girl's neck in a semi-hug.

Much to her surprise and delight, Ame hugged back. "Guess there's no point in denying it."

"You know it!" beamed Rio. "Now get in that water already!"

"Wait, don't—"

Rio pulled the girl into the water, making her stumble then fall. When Ame broke the surface, coughing out the salt water she had accidentally swallowed, she was drenched from head to toe and glaring mightily at her friend.

"Fine. You wanna play rough?" Her hand suddenly latched around the girl's wrist. "Well, two can play that way!"

"Gah!"

The blonde was powerless as Ame suddenly used her position to throw her over her head and smack into the ocean. Spitting out the salty water, the blonde then started laughing and coughing at the same time. Ame soon joined in, knowing this would probably be the last time she could allow herself to lower her guard in a long, _very_ long while.

* * *

.

.

"A test of courage?"

After having their fun at the beach, the students had changed back into their jerseys and gathered at the hotel. They still had a few hours in the sun left, and all had been wondering what to do when Korosensei suggested a particular idea.

"Yes! What better activity for a midsummer night?" insisted their teacher.

"You just want to have some fun, Korosensei," stated accusingly Karma.

"Unlike some people, I've been cooped up in a shell this whole time!" retorted the octopus, a vein bulging on his forehead. "On a tropical isle, of all places!"

"That's your own damn fault," huffed Ame, unimpressed. "And what's a 'test of courage' anyway?"

There was a moment of silence, before Okajima, Sugaya, and Yoshida suddenly appeared before her, scaring the hell out of the poor girl.

"You don't know!?"

"How can't you _not_ know this!?"

"What kind of childhood did you have!?"

"A… busy one?" she answered, genuinely terrified. "Why don't you tell me what it is already?"

"It's really simple, Ame," answered Rio, taking pity on her. "You have to go through a predetermined path, usually in pair. It's scary and it's fun, is all."

"Well, I guess we've got nothing better to do," mused the black-haired girl. "Okay, I'm in!"

"Ooh, a test of courage! This will be fun!" cheered Maehara.

"Right?" agreed Isogai.

"But I don't like scary stuff," protested Kurahashi.

"Don't worry, Korosensei will act as the ghosts, so I doubt it'll be too bad," pointed out Sugino.

As everyone started talking about that test of courage with growing eagerness and anticipation, none noticed the evil glint in Korosensei's eyes, or how his smile twisted into a smirk.

* * *

All of the students were guided to a small cave situated farther down the shore. Ame couldn't help but feel a little nervous, though. She wanted to try it out, but she was a little scared of how she'd react. After all, she had sharp instincts. She might mess up the whole game just because she was too wary to truly get into it.

"We'll hold it in this ocean cavern!" announced Korosensei, stopping at the entrance. "Walk through to the exit in boy-girl pairs, and keep a five-minute interval between each group. Also… Naoki-san?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll have to ask you to leave your weapons at the entrance," ordered the octopus.

"Aa? No way!" she refused instantly. "Who knows what we'll run into in there? Or what, is it because you're too scared you might not escape my knives this time around?"

"It is merely a precaution to ensure everyone can have a good time," replied calmly the teacher. "I do not mind if you keep the rubber knives or the anti-me guns, but real weapons might harm one of your classmates."

"Oh, right…"

She didn't feel comfortable in the least with the idea. Maybe coming was a bad idea after all? She had been taught never to leave herself unprotected, after all, no matter the circumstances. Earlier with the swimsuit had been an exception. But here… here, she was safe, wasn't she? And she was with her friends, far from enemies and other dangers. Here, she wasn't Kitsune or just another assassination target. Here, she was just Naoki Ame, student of the E-Class.

_... right?_

"Ugh, fine." She had promised Isogai she'd try, after all. "Though I _will_ know if one of them is missing when I get them back, so you better not touch any of them."

"Of course, of course."

With a sigh, the teen started getting rid of her weapons. She first threw away over a dozen of knives that were hidden under her shirt. Then, another dozen from under her shorts. Some throwing stars followed, along with the needles holding her hair together.

"There," she huffed. "Happy?"

 _"All_ of your weapons, Naoki-san."

"Tche."

She tapped her right foot on the ground, and five little blades fell out of the sole of her shoe. The same thing happened with her left shoe. She then threw away her wristbands, a weird clinking noise echoing as they hit the sand.

She then crossed her arms over her chest. "Can we get a move on, now?"

Korosensei sweatdropped. "I… didn't know you had those, too. I actually meant the katana."

"Aw, do I have to?"

"The… katana?" repeated Rio, confused.

With a sigh, Ame bent her arm backward, her hand disappearing behind her back… only to pull out a _goddamn katana_ out of literally nowhere.

"Where the hell were you hiding this!?" exclaimed Maehara, pale.

"Why did you bring it along anyway?" added Yoshida, about to tear his hair out.

"I dunno. I thought it could be useful," shrugged the girl.

She did throw it on the pile of weapons, though. Korosensei wiped away the nervous sweat that had started rolling down his head.

"Is- is that all, Naoki-san...?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I said 'yes', would you?" she scoffed.

And to the pile, she added five more knives, a bag full of makinichis and a few smoke bombs. She also added a mini-Taser on an afterthought, and also her stun-gun. At the end, where she had hidden those on her body was yet another mystery the students and teachers of the E-Class would never figure out.

"W- well, I guess it's now time for the test of courage to begin! Let's start!" exclaimed the octopus.

He was gone in a flash. There was a moment of silence before Ame groaned loudly.

"Ugh, I feel naked now."

"Ame, I don't know how you pulled that off, but you _need_ to teach me some time," sweatdropped Rio.

"Why do you have so many real weapons anyway?" grunted Terasaka. "It's not like they'd work against that damn octopus."

"They're not meant for him," she replied, her tone less enthused. "I knew from the start this island could be dangerous for me, what with that stupid bounty on my head. I simply came prepared to face any kind of situation in case… something happened."

"You have to tell us about this kind of stuff, Ame," then pointed out Karma, rubbing his fist over her head. "We can't help if you don't talk to us."

"I know, I know!" she huffed, slapping his hand away. "And stop messing up my hair, damn it!"

"One way or another, we have to go in there in pair," then remarked Hara, bringing all of the students back on topic. "Who's going first?"

"We could be mean and go back to the hotel, leaving him alone in there," suggested the orange-eyed teen, a little bitter at having been forced to get rid of her weapons.

"Ame, no."

"Why not?"

"Ka- Kayano-san and I will go first!" then announced Nagisa.

And so they went inside.

Soon enough, the other pairs were formed. Since they had to go in there as boy-girl pairs for whatever reason, though, Ame couldn't go with Rio. She would have gone with Karma if he hadn't already promised to Okuda he'd go with her (it's the only reason the poor girl agreed to come along in the first place).

_So… now what?_

"Oh, Ame!" She turned to Maehara. "Do you have a partner yet?"

"I think I might have scared some people with all those weapons," she admitted, a little sheepish. "So no, I don't. Do you—"

"Great!" He suddenly shoved none other than Isogai before him. "Isogai doesn't have one either. Have fun!"

"What—"

But the flirt was already gone. Both students blinked a few times in utter confusion, before looking at each other. After a moment, they shared a few chuckles.

"I don't really know what's gotten into him, but I don't mind," mused the class representative. "Would you like to pair up with me, Ame-san?"

"Sure. Do we go in next?"

"Yeah, we can do that."

Farther away, three students were watching the interaction like hawks eyeing their preys. Rio, Karma, and Maehara all had that weird, evil glint in their eyes that made everyone else back away from them.

"You sure about this, Maehara?" asked the red-haired boy.

"Positive. And he's the one who convinced her to come back, isn't he?" pointed out the flirt.

"I see the potential," nodded Rio, grinning. "Hell yes! Let's play matchmakers!"

"As long as neither of them finds out," added quickly Maehara, paling a little. "I have absolutely no idea of how Ame would react, and Isogai can be pretty scary when he wants to be."

"Well, let's just see how this test of courage turns out first," suggested Karma, greatly entertained. "We might not have to do a single thing."

The other two nodded in agreement and, much to their delight, Ame and Isogai walked into the cave next, talking in low tones about God knows what.

 _Maybe she's sharing another deep dark secret with him!_ Swooned internally Rio. _It's so romantic!_

* * *

"So, do you prefer vanilla or chocolate?"

"Actually, I think I like both equally. Though, it's kind of hard to choose when you rarely have the chance to taste it."

"Ugh, don't I know the feeling."

* * *

Ame tensed when sensing a presence, though allowed herself to relax when realizing it was just Korosensei about to play his bit, probably a little further down, though.

"Are you scared, Ame-san?" couldn't help but ask the boy.

"Scary stories and stuff like that don't scare me," she assured. _I've seen and done one too many much scarier thing in my life_. "I just don't like being weaponless. I can fight, sure, but it's easier to defend myself with at least something sharp in my hands."

"Is it a habit that's been taught to you?" he wondered, genuine curiosity lacing his voice.

"Yeah. I've learned the hard way to always have a weapon near me," she nodded, not really minding answering. "Hell, I even have a knife under my pillow. Otherwise, I can't sleep."

"Paranoia?"

"Precautions. And it's necessary too, now more than ever." She then thought it over. "… okay, and maybe a bit of paranoia. I can't really help it. The only people I trust blindly enough to leave my back open when they're around are kind of like my second family, but even then I always have at least a throwing knife with me."

He couldn't help but smile at that. "So you trust us too, uh? Since you got rid of them. Had you truly wanted to, you could have just refused to join and could have waited outside instead."

"… I guess so," she relented, before offering him a smile of her own. "But I did make you a promise. I intend to keep it."

"You're pretty adamant about that, uh?" he mused. "You told me something along the same lines when you promised you'd do your best for the exams, too…"

"I don't give my word on a whim and, even if I hide a lot of things, I'm not a liar," she replied, scratching the back of her head. "Though I guess that's just something I've learned from Dale."

"Dale?"

"He's kind of a father figure for me," she admitted, smiling a little. "He's also the one who taught me hand-to-hand combat and defensive and evasive maneuvers."

"If you don't mind me asking… does he have that ring too?" She stopped in her tracks at his question, startled, and he lifted his hands in an appeasing motion. "It's just, that man we met at the Citadel… Saru, right? He was wearing the same ring as you, and the girls told us that the acquaintance who helped you out back in the lounge also used the same ring to let you pass…"

"… I didn't really lie to Bitch-sensei when I told her it was a family heirloom," she shrugged, walking again. "I told you about how I had a second family, right? Saru, the guy from the lounge, and Dale are all part of it. Hana, too. You know, the red-haired woman who came to the campus once?"

"Oh, right! Okajima really wanted to meet her," he recalled, amused.

"Yes, well, she's way out of his league," snorted Ame, before falling serious again. "This ring… it's really important to us. It's a mean to stay united despite the distance or the time we spend apart. And, well, it has its other advantages too. Let's just leave it at that."

"… if they're your second family, then who's your first?" he wondered. It was the first time he conversed so openly with the girl, and he found himself more than curious. "I remember you brought them to the café, but…"

"My grandmother is in charge of a foster home. All of those kids you met… Well, she took them in one after the other, hoping to give them a home," explained the girl. "At first, she had my grandfather to help out, but he died of cancer many, many years ago, so money became scarce. She refused to close the home, though." Her eyes softened slightly. "Those kids are her family… and, well, she took me in when my parents died. I don't really remember them, though. When I think of 'parents', the only face that comes to my mind is my grandmother's. She's the one who raised me and—" She stopped, blinking a few times, before offering him a sheepish smile. "Ah, sorry. I've started ranting, didn't I?"

"I don't mind," he admitted, a tad amused. He'd never have taken the girl for a rambler. "It's nice to see you opening up."

"Yeah, well…" She shook her head. "What about you? What's your family like?"

"Well, I have a sister…"

* * *

In the end, they reached the exit without running into Korosensei once. Frankly, the octopus had gotten emotional when he heard Ame talking so openly and had to leave if he didn't want to flood the entire cave.

* * *

"What a disgrace… a total disgrace…"

"So basically you meant to frighten us into becoming couples thanks to the suspension-bridge effect?" resumed Maehara.

"We saw right through you before you even scared us!" exclaimed Okano.

"But- but I so wanted to see you all! I wanted to grin at you holding hands and blushing, two by two!" cried Korosensei. "I was trying to keep you from marrying someone random!"

Ame rolled her eyes at that, finishing putting her weapons back. She felt more at ease now that she was armed again, but she couldn't deny she had completely forgotten about it while in the cave when she started talking with Isogai.

"Never mind that stuff," then remarked Rio, a tad hypocritically. "There are plenty of us who don't want to be dragged into a love affair. We're not all as sleazy as you."

"Plus, we kind of have bigger fish to fry right now," pointed out Ame, stretching her arms. "In case you've forgotten, the ultimate goal for the E-Class is to kill you and claim that ten billion yen prize—not some weird romance."

"A- all right, Nakamura-san, Naoki-san," he sobbed. "I get it…"

"You call that a test of courage? There was nobody in there!"

At Irina's annoyed exclamation, all students turned their attention to the cave, from which exited none other than their English teacher and Karasuma. The woman was clinging to his arm like some sort of leech, while the man simply seemed exasperated.

"I told you it was pointless clinging to me like that," sighed the agent. "I don't need that kind of baggage after an all-nighter."

"Shut up! You're a man, aren't you?" huffed the assassin. "If there's a pretty woman around, escort her nicely!"

He sighed yet again and, suddenly realizing the presence of the students, Irina let go of him and "discreetly" walked away. Apparently relieved, Karasuma wasted no time in leaving.

"Ne, I wonder…" murmured Maehara.

"Is Bitch-sensei…?"

"Uh-uh."

"What should we do?"

"We've got time before we go home tomorrow morning," pointed out Rio.

Ame gulped a little when noticing the weird aura now emanating from the students and their teacher. A little more and they'd have horns sprouting out of their heads.

"Should we push them together?" suggested Korosensei, eyes glinting maliciously.

A nervous band of sweat rolled down the girl's forehead. _Oh boy._

* * *

.

.

"Ugh, that does it!" cursed Irina. "How obtuse can a person be?"

"This isn't like you, Bitch-sensei," mused Maehara, crossing his arms over his chest. "You wrap men around your little finger!"

"But when it comes to her own love life, she's inexperienced," added Kaede.

"Love? Ah!" snorted derisively the assassin. "Don't make me laugh!"

"What? It's not love?"

"He's a rare bird, that's all—a world-class square!" huffed the blonde. "And while I was all worked up, trying to get him to fall for me, before I knew it, I…" A faint blush rose to her cheeks. "I just…"

At the sight, most boys blushed too. _That was rather cute…_

"Yosh, just leave it to us!" then exclaimed Maehara. "We'll set the perfect stage for you two!"

"Good idea!" agreed Rio.

"You kids…"

"Let the E-Class love consultant meeting come to order!" announced Korosensei.

"Ugh, no way," grunted Ame, walking away. "I'm not involved in this."

"Aa? Come on, Ame-chan!" pleaded Kaede.

"No thanks. I'll be in my room if anyone needs me."

Frankly, she had had enough excitement for one day and, well, she was rather tired too. She had no doubt it was a longer-lasting effect of the poison and she hoped she'd be able to simply sleep it off. So, offering a lazy wave as she walked back inside, Ame wasted no time in returning to her room to get some much-needed rest.

* * *

.

.

**"So you'll be back for supper?"**

"Yes. I already told you—"

**"Awesome! I'm gonna make your favorite!"**

"Wait, Ash, you don't need—"

**"Hey, hey, you brought back souvenirs, right?"**

"Not this time, Kiba, I—"

**"I miss you, Ame-nee! Can't you come back sooner?"**

"Jackie, I'm already on my way—"

**"Now that you've enjoyed your vacation, you'll have to work even harder for the incoming term, Ame-nee."**

"Uh? I know that, Rin, so why—"

**"Okay, love you, see you later!"**

"Wait, Amaya—"

But the little girl hung up before she could stop her. Ame gaped at her phone for a few seconds, before groaning in annoyance.

"Those little brats, passing the phone around as if it was a game of hot potato…" she mumbled, putting her phone back in her pocket. "I didn't even get to talk to Obaa-san after all…"

"Who?"

Ame jumped at the question and shot a startled look at the newcomer. "Ka- Karma!"

"Looks like you were talking to quite a few people there," he remarked, apparently amused. "Friends of yours?"

"My siblings," she corrected, shaking her head. "They're a rowdy bunch, but it's kind of hard not to like them."

He seemed surprised at that. "You have siblings? I had no idea…"

"Well, I guess it just never really came up," she pointed out. "But yeah, I've got six of them."

"Six? That's a lot."

"Well, we're not actually blood-related," she admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "My grandmother took them in one after the other and we all grew up together. We're just some kind of patched-up family."

He simply smiled at that. "Sounds nice. Why don't you tell me about them?"

She was surprised by the request, but pleasantly so. Without wasting any time, she started describing her precious family to her friend, more than happy to share that small bit of happiness that always illuminated her life.

* * *

.

.

A few days after everyone returned from the island, summer vacation came to an end. Only two days were left and, soon enough, all of the students would return to school to begin the second term. Ame fully intended on enjoying her last days of complete freedom, of course.

"A Summer Festival?" read her grandmother. She looked up from the waiver, surprised. "But you never liked those… Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Well, there's only a few days left before school starts again, and I want to spend some time with the kids," admitted the girl. She bit her lower lip. "I know I haven't really been able to hang out with them lately since I've been so busy with school and work. I just thought the Summer Festival would be a good way to spend time with the family and have some fun all together."

"This is a wonderful idea, sweetheart," agreed the woman, offering her a smile. Said smile, however, dropped quickly. "But I'm afraid I have a meeting tonight with Kiba's teacher… Will you be fine on your own?"

"Of course, Obaa-san. I can perfectly handle them," assured the girl with a chuckle. "Go to that meeting with your mind at ease, okay? And while you're at it, why don't you go watch that movie you've told me about? I'll take care of the kids, so you can go and relax tonight, alright?"

"Well, if you don't mind…"

"I'm the one who just suggested it," snorted the girl. "Go on, have some fun too. We'll be fine, so don't worry about a thing, okay?"

At that, the woman's smile returned. "All right."

* * *

The children instantly agreed when Ame suggested they go to the Summer Festival. It didn't take too long to dig up some old kimonos and yukatas from the basement and, after a quick washing, everyone quickly got changed. The black-haired girl wasn't planning on putting on traditional clothing, to be honest, but she hadn't been able to resist Ash's puppy eyes. So, it's wrapped up in a tight, black and red kimono that she left the house with her siblings by her sides.

Ame wasn't worried about tonight. Her grandmother had given her some money to spend on games and food at the festival, and she had Karasu and Uma tailing them. She had learned from her mistake, after all, and there was no way she was dragging her family outside without some backup nearby. The last thing she wanted was to be attacked while having to protect them.

* * *

When they finally reached the festival, Ame stopped the little group to lay down some ground rules. While she had no doubt she could handle them, she didn't want to risk anything.

"Okay guys, so here's how it's going to work," she announced, careful not to wake Leo, who was sleeping in her arms. "I've got money for games and food, and we've got the whole night. So, I don't want any fighting, okay? If you want to do something, just tell me, and we'll do it. There's no point in rushing, so let's just enjoy ourselves. And also, I don't want any of you going off on your own, okay?"

"But what if we get separated?" asked Jackie, already tightly holding on to her kimono as he stared at the large crowd of people. "What do we do?"

"If you ever get separated from the group, then you come here right away," she replied, lightly ruffling his hair with her free hand. "We'll do the same and we'll get back together in no time. If you don't know how to come back, then just ask someone. They'll be happy to help, I'm sure. Now, who's up for some fun, hm?"

"YEAH!"

She laughed at that. "Great, then let's—"

"Ame-chan?"

She blinked a few times, startled, before turning around to find none other than Kaede, Nagisa, and Korosensei standing behind her.

"Uh? What are you guys doing here?" she wondered.

"Korosensei invited us to come…" Kaede tilted her head in wonder. "Isn't that why you're here—"

"AME!"

"No, don't!"

The black-haired girl barely avoided Rio in time. The blonde stumbled when she failed to hug her target, and she was about to berate her friend for avoiding her when she realized she was holding—

"Wait, where'd you find the baby?" she asked, a little pale. "Don't tell me you stole it!?"

"What!? No! Why would I steal a baby?" instantly protested her friend.

"You do a lot of things I've learned not to question, Ame. I can't rule out any possibility," deadpanned Rio.

"… fair enough."

"Oh, Ame!" Maehara waved, grinning. He was followed by Isogai, Kataoka, and Kurahashi. "You finally got here! About time—is that a baby? Did you steal it?"

"No! Why do you—"

"Funny, I didn't peg you as the kimono type," mused Karma, popping out of nowhere and slinging an arm around Ame's shoulders. "Let me guess: the knives are hidden in the obi?"

"Oh, please," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm more original than that."

At the same time, Chiba, Hayami, Kanzaki, Yada, and Okajima arrived, and the girl shook her head.

"Is the entire class here?" she asked, curious and confused at the same time. "You said Korosensei invited you… Ne, Korosensei! Why didn't you invite me?"

"I tried, but then I realized the address written in your student file is a fake," sweatdropped the teacher. "When did you change it?"

"Uh?" It took a few seconds for the girl to understand what he was talking about. "Oh, right! I wrote down a random address when they asked me to fill the file… Ah ah, my bad, I guess!"

 _Why would she even do that!?_ mentally protested the rest of the students.

"Ame-nee…? Who are they?"

At the childish voice and question, the attention of the E-Class fell upon a group of children they had failed to notice up until now. Many only then realized Ame was also holding a sleeping baby.

"Gah! Why do you have a baby—wait, did you steal it?" gasped Okajima.

 _"No!"_ she snapped back, now annoyed. She glanced back at the kids. "Guys, these are my classmates and friends. Classmates and friends, these are my siblings."

"Si- siblings!?"

"So many!"

"They don't really look alike…"

"I didn't know she even had those…"

"They're cute!"

"Hi Jackie!" exclaimed Kurahashi with a smile. "You still have that bracelet I gave you, right?"

"O- of course!" the boy answered, somehow scraping up the courage to answer. "I- I'm happy to see you a- again, Ashi-nee!"

"Oi, I thought this was supposed to be a family outing," then grunted the oldest boy, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Don't be rude!" warned Ame with a frown. She then sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, this brat here is Kiba—"

"Hey!"

"—this one is Rin—"

"Hello."

"—then we have Jackie—"

"H- hi…"

"—there's Amaya—"

The girl waved a tad shyly.

"—that's Ash—"

"Yo!"

"—and finally, Leo!" Ame grinned when showing off the sleeping boy. "So no, I did _not_ steal a baby. Questions?"

Kurahashi's hand instantly snapped up in the air. "Can I go with Jackie to the fishing stand?"

The black-haired girl blinked at the sudden and odd request, before looking down at the boy in question.

"Do you want to go with her, Jackie?"

He seemed surprised, but pleasantly so. "Y- yeah!"

"Well, alright then. Go on and have some fun. We'll see you later."

"R- right!"

He wasted no time in running off toward Kurahashi. The orange-haired girl laughed as he jumped into her arms to give her a tight hug and she wasted no time in walking away, quickly followed by Yada and Kanzaki.

"Okay, so what do you guys want to do?" then asked Ame.

"The shooting stand," answered calmly Rin.

"The sweets!" exclaimed happily Ash.

"The- the love booth…?" suggested Amaya.

"The chance games, I guess," mumbled Kiba, obviously annoyed.

_That's… quite diverse. It's not like we can do everything at once, though. I just hope we'll have enough time to do everything…_

"Ne, Ame?" She turned to Rio, who grinned. "I was already heading to the love booth, so I can take that sweetie pie along if you want."

"Well, if you don't mind…" Ame turned to Amaya. "Do you want to go with her, Ama?"

"I- I don't want to be a bother—"

"Nonsense, cutie!" laughed the blonde, grabbing her hand. "Come on!"

"Ooh, I'll come with you!" announced Maehara, following them.

"Me too!" exclaimed Okajima.

"We were heading for the shooting stand ourselves," then stated Hayami, though it didn't really surprise anyone. She offered a small smile at the little girl. "Rin, right? You can come with us if you wish."

Rin glanced at Ame, who simply shrugged. "If you want to, then go."

"But Kiba's right, for _once—"_

"Oi!"

"—this is a family outing. Why are we splitting up?"

"Well, I brought you guys here so we could all have some fun," shrugged the teen. "And since I've got Leo with me, I'm afraid I won't be able to do much. Plus, instead of wasting your time on things you don't like, you can go and spend it on things you're sure to enjoy. In the end, though, it's up to you."

"… then I'll go. Thank you for the offer…?"

"Hayami Rinka," completed the sniper. She jabbed a thumb at the boy beside her. "And this is Chiba Ryunosuke. Let's go."

"Aa."

"I wanted to taste the sweets too!" then remarked cheerfully Kaede. She offered her hand at Ash. "Let's go together!"

"Hell yeah!" instantly agreed the girl.

"Ash, language," warned Ame with a sigh. "And don't cause too much trouble, okay?"

The child simply laughed. "No way, that's Kiba's job!"

"I hate you," replied flatly the boy in question.

"Love you too. Now let's go!" cheered the girl.

Kaede, Ash, Nagisa, and Kataoka were the next ones to break off from the group, leaving only Korosensei, Karma, Isogai, Ame, Kiba, and Leo behind.

"Hey, kid." Karma placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, an evil grin stretching his lips. "Want me to teach you how to get free stuff at the stands?"

At that, the brooding expression of the kid instantly vanished. "For real?"

"Sure."

"I'm in!"

"What—Karma! Wait, _don't—aaaand_ they're gone," sighed Ame, exhaling in defeat. "Whatever. As long as they don't start threatening people or maim anyone, I guess."

"Are you sure it's alright to let them go off on their own?" then wondered Isogai, frowning a little. "Last time you went out with your family, you had a run-in with another assassin…"

He was obviously referring to the incident at the restaurant.

She simply offered a reassuring smile, though. "Don't worry about it. If an assassin does actually pop up, then I know our friends will keep them safe. Plus, I've already got two of my coworkers tailing us, just to make sure nothing happens. And, well, Korosensei is here too, so what could happen, really?"

He relaxed at that. "I guess you're right… Well, I found some cheap food stands earlier, so care to go grab something to eat? They're not too far and, well, since you don't have to watch over your siblings any more—"

"You had me at 'cheap', Isogai-kun," she admitted, a tad sheepishly. She then looked down at Leo, her eyes softening a little. "And this little guy won't wake up for a while, so why not?"

"Great! Let's go, then."

"Lead the way."

The tree of them finally left to go and enjoy the festival too. It took Korosensei a few seconds to realize he was now the only one left.

"Gah!" he cried, tears pouring down his face. "I'm all alone! Please, don't leave me!"

And he ran into the crowd in hopes of finding his students. He was the one who invited them to this festival, after all. The least they could do was to stay with him so they could enjoy it all together, right? Right!?

* * *

.

.

Around thirty minutes or so later, Isogai and Ame stepped out of the food stall, full. Leo had yet to wake up, much to Ame's relief, and she had had a good time. She had no doubt her siblings had warmed up to her classmates too, and she simply hoped they were having fun.

Just as they stepped outside, though, they were suddenly cornered by six men.

"Naoki Ame?" one of them asked.

"I'm afraid you have the wrong person," she replied, narrowing her eyes.

"It's her alright," however replied a woman, passing through two of the man. "She's the one we're after."

The woman was rather small, with an almost childish face and her brown hair held in a ponytail. She could almost have passed for an high-school kid had it not been for the frosty voice and the missing left eye that gave her right one a sharp, deadly edge.

"Naoki Ame, fifteen years old, one of the highest bounties on the Dark List," resumed the woman, checking the girl up and down. "Don't look all that impressive to me, but money is money. If you don't want anyone to get hurt, follow us without causing trouble."

Ame couldn't refuse. She had Leo in her arms and there was simply no way she was risking him getting injured. So, offering a simple nod to the woman, she turned to Isogai and carefully handed him the sleeping baby.

"Take care of him, 'kay?"

He frowned, but nodded. As she started following the six men and the woman, she discreetly used the standard sign language they had learned in class to pass along her instructions.

_Warn the others. Watch the kids. I'll be fine._

Needless to say, the boy wasted no time in running off to find their teacher.

* * *

The black-haired girl sighed when realizing what exactly the assassins were planning. They had stopped walking a minute ago or so, smack in the middle of the crowd. The men easily blended in with the civilians and were all surrounding her, and the one-eyed woman was just behind her. For anyone watching, they probably looked like two friends holding each other, but that's because they couldn't see the gun pressed against Ame's back.

"You're going to use the fireworks to cover the sound of the gunshot," she stated simply. "And let me guess: you're holding the crowd hostage?"

"If you try anything funny, my men have orders to open fire at random," confirmed the assassin in the same tone. "And thanks to this crowd, your monster of a teacher can't get to use either. So, just relax and enjoy the show. It'll be done quickly and painlessly."

"I see. Though, indulge my curiosity: what exactly _is_ my bounty?" asked the teen. "You mentioned earlier it was one of the highest… Last time I checked, I was in the lower ranks, so what exactly is my head worth now?"

"7 billion yen," answered flatly the woman. "Now indulge _me:_ what exactly did a brat like you do to end up with such a heavy bounty, hm?"

"No idea," admitted the girl, rubbing the back of her head. _7 billion yen? What the actual fuck!?_ "Someone just really wants me dead, I guess. I'd say 'I'm innocent' and try to plead my case, but it doesn't really matter to you, does it?"

"I'm afraid not. Now, eyes up!" The gun was pressed a little harder in her back, vis-à-vis her heart. "It's time to say goodbye."

At that, though, Ame grinned. "Okay. Bye-bye!"

The girl dropped to the ground and pulled out the stun-gun from her obi, jamming it into the woman's stomach. The assassin let out a hiss of pain as she stumbled back, though it was drowned out by the fireworks that had started illuminating the sky. The six henchmen instantly raised their guns to fire at random into the crowd, as per ordered.

"Nu-uh! Not so fast!"

Uma grabbed two of them from behind and harshly slammed their heads together, knocking them out cold instantly. The third one was handled by Karasu, who used a Taser to take him out. The black-haired girl instantly kicked the fourth one in the crotch before punching him in the face while Uma threw one of the unconscious men at the last two, who collapsed under the sudden weight. Wasting no time, Karasu used his Taser to take them out too.

"Whew! That was a tad too close for my liking," mused Ame, before turning to her friends with a small smile. "Thanks, guys. I—"

"Argh!"

The teen spun around, ready to defend herself, but she only found the lead-assassin standing before her, the woman's single eye wide open in shock. She collapsed to the ground, revealing a dart full of sedatives embedded in her shoulder. Looking up, Ame searched the roofs for the sniper, until she finally found him. Red Eye waved her way, before disappearing into the night. Around them, the crowd simply kept moving around, probably thinking the men lying around had passed out because of the alcohol or something.

"Wait, you guys brought Sasori along?" she realized.

"We had an inkling something like that would happen," admitted Karasu, quickly taking the wallets of the assassins lying on the ground. "You know, because of your increased bounty and all that."

"And you didn't think of informing me of this?" replied the girl, crossing her arms over her chest. "Misinformation is the worst thing for info-brokers, remember?"

"We were planning on telling you tomorrow," shrugged Uma, not all that bothered by her scolding. "Let you enjoy tonight, you know?"

"Ugh, fine. Whatever. Any idea why it increased?"

They shook their heads in a negative motion, making her sigh yet again. Things just kept growing more and more complicated, didn't they?

* * *

"Ame-san!"

The girl smiled reassuringly at Isogai, glad to see he and Leo were safe. "I'm back. You guys okay?"

"Aa," he nodded, before lowering his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help..."

"Don't make a big deal out of it," she instantly replied. "You watching over Leo greatly helped me, you can believe that. Fighting with a sleeping baby in my arms was the last thing I wanted."

That earned her a laugh and he finally handed back the child (who, somehow, was _still_ sleeping). At the same moment, Korosensei suddenly appeared next to them.

"Gah! Ame-san!" he exclaimed, sobbing loudly. "I'm so sorry! I was having a hard time coming to your help because of the crowd!"

"It's fine, it's fine," she assured, gently rocking the boy she was holding so he wouldn't wake up. "I had friends watching my back, so don't worry about it. Now can you please stop crying? You're going to wake up Leo!"

"Ri- right…"

Korosensei wiped away his guilt-filled tears before blowing his nose, making the girl roll her eyes at the dramatics while Isogai chuckled. Just a moment later, Kurahashi showed up with Jackie.

"Ame-nee!" exclaimed the young boy, running up to her. He practically shoved in her face a plastic bag with a goldfish inside. "Look, look! I caught one all on my own!"

"That's great, Jackie," laughed the girl, ruffling his hair. "So you had fun?"

"Yeah!" He turned to Kurahashi with a big, bright smile. "Thanks, Ashi-nee!"

"Sure thing. I'll see you around then, Jackie-kun," replied the girl, smiling back. "Night-night, Jackie-kun, Ame-chan, Isogai-kun, Korosensei!"

"Goodnight!"

"Bye-bye!"

Just as the orange-haired girl left, Rio showed up with Amaya, along with Maehara, Kaede, Ash, and Nagisa. Amaya seemed to have opened up to the blonde while Ash was grinning happily as she held many bags of sweets. As they bid their goodbyes to the students, Chiba and Hayami brought back Rin, all of them holding many, many toys and other prizes.

"Hey, Ame-nee! Look at that!"

The girl turned around, ready to greet Kiba, but she choked on her words when she saw the numerous boxes he was carrying. There was an X-box, some video games, and even a phone, and those were the ones she could see from afar. Karma also had his arms full.

"Please tell me you didn't steal those," begged the girl.

"Steal?" echoed Karma, amused. "You got it all wrong. We won them fair and square, really."

"And there wasn't some threatening involved?" she insisted, unconvinced.

There was a moment of silence.

"Ugh, I knew it!" she grunted.

"Eh, in our defense, the guy stole our money first," replied Kiba, unashamed. "He was cheating. We just… _convinced_ him, to let us take our prizes. We got what we wanted, and the police didn't come to check his stand. It was a win-win situation, seriously!"

Understanding she wouldn't win this one, the black-haired teen nodded in defeat. At that, the two boys exchanged a high-five. Then, Karma ruffled his hair before walking away, apparently done for the night. After that, it didn't take long for the rest of the students to leave. Once certain none of the kids were missing, Ame quickly texted Karasu to let him know they were heading back home. Now that she was aware of her increased bounty, she'd rather not be seen with the children if she could help it. After all, the last thing she wanted was to have them dragged into that mess.

 _Though, I'm still glad we came here tonight,_ she mused internally. _Even if we weren't together, they all had a lot of fun. Plus, they seemed to have warmed up to my friends too…_

For some reason, knowing her family and her friends got along made her stupidly happy.

She could only hope that happiness wouldn't vanish too soon.


	22. Twenty-Second Period: Bonding Time PART 2

Ame had decided to clean her room at last. She had started early in the morning, forbidding the children and her grandmother from entering, and she had even locked the door. After all, she’d have a hard time explaining why she had so many knives lying around at random. It had taken her a few hours to sort things out and she even made an inventory of all the weapons and equipment she had found so she could, later on, figure out what belonged to her and what was a loan from the Zodiac.

She had finished hiding the last of her weapons under her bed (her grandmother couldn’t bend because of her old back so she wouldn’t be able to find them) when someone knocked at her door.

“Ame-nee?” It was Kiba. “There’s a guy at the door. He’s got the uniform from your school, says he’s a classmate of yours.”

 _Classmate?_ She frowned, instantly on edge. _The fake address is still there and not even Rio knows where I live. Is it an assassin?_

She quickly slipped two knives in her sleeves before opening the door and rushing passed Kiba. She couldn’t risk getting her family involved, she needed to get rid of the intruder right away. So, muscles tensed and ready to jump into action, she finally reached the door… where she found none other than Asano Gakushu chatting amiably with her grandmother.

“Oh, Ame-chan!” smiled the old woman. “You never told me you had such a charming friend!”

“It’s because I don’t,” replied bluntly the girl, relaxing nonetheless. Better him than an assassin, after all. “What are you doing here, Asano Junior?”

He simply offered her one of his bland smiles. “No need to be on the defensive, Naoki-san. Why don’t you walk with me?”

She considered the offer for a moment. He obviously had something in mind, but she had no idea what. The idea of going out for a walk was tempting, but she wasn’t enough of an asshole to drag him into her target-on-her-back mess.

 _Yet_.

Depended on if he pissed her off too much.

“Let’s just go up to my room,” she replied, gesturing for him to follow. “Come on.”

“Well, if you insist.”

She had many, many questions. What was he doing here? How did he find her? What did he want? She had a bad feeling about all of this, to be honest. So, as soon as they entered her room (God, was she glad she cleaned it up just before, seriously), she closed the door, reining in her questions and suspicions to keep up the cool act.

“So?” She crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against her desk. He was busy examining her small shelf of books. “What do you want?”

“I owe you a favor if I recall,” he then remarked. “And while you’ve had your fun for the summer break, I hate to owe someone something.” He turned to her. “So, I’ll return the question: what do _you_ want?”

She blinked a few times, honestly taken aback.

“That’s why you came all the way here?” she then gaped. “Are you _really_ that petty? And- and how’d you find where I live anyway?”

“Well, considering the fake address in your student file, it wasn’t easy,” he admitted, making her tense. “But you had a certain Asana Sakura as your legal guardian, and finding her wasn’t much of a challenge.” He then noticed the tension painted on her face and rolled his eyes. “Oh, don’t be so wary. If I tried to tell on you, then I’d have to explain why I hacked into the school’s records, which isn’t exactly legal either.”

“… fair enough.” She forced herself to relax, before shaking her head. “But still! You can’t just barge in here and ask that of me. I understand your position—really, I do—but I’ll use that favor when I want to, and not when you tell me to, got it?”

He stared at her for a moment, gauging the look in her eyes. They showed an unwavering determination, and she wasn’t the kind of person who’d give in easily, that much he knew. However, that favor he owed her proved to be much more troublesome than what he had first anticipated. After all, for as long as he owed her, he wouldn’t be able to dig up the E-Class’s secrets freely and, frankly, he was impatient to finally get his father on a leash. He wouldn’t let this girl get in the way of his plans more than she already did.

“You’re planning something, aren’t you?” she then asked, narrowing her eyes. “That’s why you want to get this over with. That way, I can’t use that favor against you.”

He didn’t say anything, still trying to figure out how—

“Ame-nee!” Ash suddenly slammed the door open. “You forgot your phone downstairs and it started ringing so I picked up and it’s your job and they wanna know—uh, who’s that? Your boyfriend?”

 _Oh crap_ , paled the teen.

“… job?” then echoed Gakushu. “You have a job, Naoki-san?”

“Of course she does!” instantly replied the six-year-old girl, as if she was scolding him. “What kind of boyfriend doesn’t know his girlfriend has a job?”

“Ash, honey, just stop talking. _Please_ ,” sighed Ame, knowing she had lost the fight. “He’s not a friend, even less a boyfriend, so—“

“But you never brought someone home before,” pointed out the kid.

“I didn’t bring him. He popped up uninvited, pretty much like you just did,” replied the teen, ushering her sister outside. “Now go make some pancakes or something.”

“Hey, wait—“

But Ame didn’t wait, simply closing the door—and locking it, this time around. After a moment of silence, she sighed heavily and turned to face Asano Junior, who now had that annoyingly victorious smirk dancing on his lips.

“I know, I know,” she grunted, shoving her hands in her pockets. “I can’t have a job as a student, it’s in the school contract, blah, blah, blah. I’m calling in my favor: you can’t tell anyone about this job. There, happy?”

“Very much so. I’ll keep quiet, you have my word,” he assured. His smile was anything but comforting, though. “Now, why don’t we get down to our real business?”

“Ugh, I knew you had something else in mind,” she groaned, sitting down on her chair. “What is it?”

“What is the E-Class hiding?”

…

…

…

“Wait, I’m sorry, what?” She rubbed her ears. “Didn’t quite catch that.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t play dumb, Naoki-san, it doesn’t suit you. What’s your class’s secret?”

“What, still salty ‘cause we beat you in the finals?” she replied, lifting an eyebrow.

“The E-Class is the lowest of the low. Miscreants, idiots, untalented… It’s been this way ever since this school was created and yet, this year, those supposedly incapable students somehow manage to get on par with the A-Class,” he resumed. “Adding to this how my father seems so involved with the E-Class too… Tell me, Naoki-san: how could absolute failures like yourselves change so drastically in a single term?” He then offered a pleasant, hollow smile. “No offense, of course.”

“Of course,” she repeated, unimpressed. “So all that is really about your father? Always trying to control every single thing, every single variable… Yeah, I can see the family resemblance now: manipulative, ego-complexed, absolute assholes…” She returned his smile. “No offense, of course.”

“Enough playing around,” he replied, growing annoyed. “Tell me—“

“But why should I tell you anything?” she replied, leaning back in her seat. “I don’t owe you anything and thanks to that favor, you’ve got nothing to blackmail me with. I wouldn’t tell you anything, Asano Junior, even if there _was_ something to tell—which, obviously, there isn’t. What, do you think we’re following some super-secret training to become assassins or something? We’re not in a fricking anime, for crying out loud.”

“… I see.” He glanced at her room one more time, before reporting his attention to her. He smiled yet again, though it was colder than before—more vicious. “It would seem my business here is done, then. I apologize for taking your time.”

“Whatever. You know where the door is,” she retorted, not bothering to escort him back.

He nodded, politely bowed, before unlocking the door and leaving. As soon as he closed the door behind him, Ame exhaled deeply. For one reason or the other, she had the distinct feeling she had escaped the net just to be caught by the harpoon, and it didn’t sit well with her.

* * *

.

.

“What brings us together here today during a school break, no less, is the nation’s current egg glut, in which excess eggs, rather than being sent to market, are being discarded in bulk,” explained passionately Kaede.

For a reason Ame had yet to figure out despite the green-haired girl’s announcement, all of the students and teachers (saved for their target) had been gathered at the E-Class campus and where now at their desks, listening to the leader of their little operation, who was standing at the front with a newspaper in hands.

“Oh, yeah—I head about that on the news. What a waste!” exclaimed Isogai.

“Right?” beamed Kaede. “So, I came up with a plan to salvage those discarded eggs and assassinate Korosensei!”

“Uh? Kill him with eggs?” blinked Rio.

“ _That_ I’ve gotta hear,” grinned Ame, growing interested.

“Bah. So you cook up a dish and toss in some of these babies?” scoffed Terasaka, throwing some Anti-BB balls in the air. “Like he won’t see through that.”

Kaede simply chuckled. “I gave it a little more thought than that. The first steps are already in place, thanks to Karasuma-sensei.”

At that, the man nodded. “Aa, everything’s all set up in the yard—“

“Then to the yard, everyone!” exclaimed cheerfully the girl.

Curious as to what would happen next, everyone quickly left the classroom to head to the yard. Karasuma simply smiled, amused and impressed at the same time.

_Honestly. These kids come up with the craziest things._

* * *

“What the _fuck_.”

All could only agree with Ame, although they probably wouldn’t have worded it that way. Before them was a gigantic mold and, next to it, dozens of containers with those discarded eggs inside.

“Don’t tell me—“

“Yep! We’re going to make one ginormous pudding!” announced Kaede. “I call it… Operation Pudding Popper!”

“Operation Pudding Popper…?” repeated Nagisa. “Korosensei does have a sweet tooth…”

“About that! I’ve already obtained a crucial confession!” claimed the green-haired girl. “He dreams of diving into a pudding bigger than himself, but he can’t because of his low finances… Let’s make his impossible dream come true! Frankly, I’d like to eat some too!” Her eyes started sparkling. “We’ll embed bombs and anti-Sensei BB’s in the giant pudding’s base. When he gets to the bottom of the thing… we’ll make it explode!”

While her plan looked like it had been directly pulled out of some random manga, Ame couldn’t deny it was interesting. It was so crazy… it could very well _work_.

“It’s worth a try,” remarked Isogai, obviously interested too.

“He does tend to go crazy over sweets and sexy stuff,” added Okajima. “And with behind-the-scenes Kayano stepping forward with this plan, there’s an element of surprise, too.”

“Well, what are we waiting for, then?” then stated Ame, pulling up her sleeves so they wouldn’t get dirty. “Korosensei isn’t around, so let’s use this time and do what we can, right?”

“Yeah!” exclaimed the students.

Everyone getting pumped up, they wasted no time in putting on aprons and uncovering the equipment and tools they’d be using. Kaede had been very creative and resourceful, using an inactive line at a mayonnaise factory to prep the beaten eggs and other things like that. Honestly, Ame was impressed. The girl had probably worked on this plan for a long while, now, and it showed.

She could only hope it’d work out.

* * *

In the end, Ame wasn’t impressed anymore: she was utterly _baffled_. Kaede had studied her subject under all aspects, be it the scientific one or the flavor one. The students worked relentlessly while following the girl’s instructions to the letter and, by the end of the day, they somehow managed to finish it.

They made a giant pudding that was _bigger than their class-building._

 _After all this work, too bad we can’t even eat some_ , mused internally Ame. _Now all that’s left to see is if it works._

* * *

.

.

The following morning, the students were quickly back to the mountain to reveal the final result of their hard work. Blowing air between the mold and the pudding itself, they separated the two and released the external lock. Instantly, a team started working on adding softened gelatin and agar all over. At the top of it, Nagisa added the caramel sauce. Ame had also volunteered to use her flamethrower (no one asked where she got it, they knew better than that by now) to toast the surface.

And finally… finally, it was done.

“This is awesome,” gaped Ame, pulling out her phone to take a picture. “Ritsu, you mind sending it to Usagi? We totally won our bet. Oh, and send it to Korosensei, too. It’s time.”

“Right away!” beamed the purple-haired girl.

It smelled amazing and Ame had no doubt she wasn’t the only one who had a hard time holding back from taking a bite. Even the knowledge that there was a bomb inside wasn’t enough to deter her or anyone else. However, they did hold back knowing it was Kaede’s assassination attempt: they wouldn’t mess it up after all the work she put into it. A second later, Korosensei appeared before them, his mouth watering at the sight of the gigantic pudding.

“What- what is this!?”

“A giant pudding!” beamed Kaede. “Go on, dive in!”

“Can I- can I really eat this whole thing?”

“Oh, yeah. Sure,” shrugged the girl. “I just wanted to use up those discarded eggs.”

“It was all Kayano-chan’s idea,” added Rio.

Korosensei grabbed the hands of the girl in question as tears started pouring down his eyes. “Ka- Kayano-san…”

“Well, see ya, Korosensei,” waved Rio, turning around to leave.

“We’ve got an English class to get to,” added Isogai.

After all, the second term was starting today and, for once, Ame couldn’t find it in herself to complain about it. She kind of missed going to school, to be honest.

All of the students wished him good luck before heading back inside. Crying and salivating at the same time, Korosensei wasted no time in pulling out two small garden shovels before literally jumping in. He didn’t even notice as his students stopped in the hallway instead of going to class as told, so they could watch the detonation.

“Wow, look at him go!” gasped Sugaya.

“It’s only a matter of time before he reaches the bottom!” added Okajima.

“There’s a surveillance camera in there, too,” recalled Takebayashi, watching the recording of the said camera on his computer. “We detonate the bomb just as the pudding around it is eaten: the moment the screen lightens slightly from pitch black.

“The pudding… exploding…”

Ame tensed a little at Kaede’s murmurs. _Don’t tell me she’s backing out now?_

“NOOO!” The green-haired girl started hitting her head against the window. “The pudding I poured all my heart into can’t go blowing up!”

“Calm down, Kayano!” exclaimed Sugino, horrified.

Terasaka forcibly pulled her away from the window. “Don’t get emotionally attached to a damn pudding! It was made to be blown to bits!”

“No, we can’t!!!” cried Kaede. “We need to keep it in the yard forever, as a monument!”

“It’ll rot!” instantly protested the rest of the students.

“Phew, time for a break.” Everyone stiffened as their teacher suddenly appeared in the middle of the group. “I detected the faint smell of a foreign object in with the deliciousness.”

His eternal grin stuck in place, he showed them… the bomb, along with the detached detonator.

“No way!” protested Ame.

“I ate from caramel to pudding to dirt, then tunneled through the ground and removed it,” he explained. He then looked at Takebayashi, who was slightly shaking. “Did you put up the bomb, Takebayashi-kun? Your calculations were spot on, but I picked up on the distinctive scent of plastic explosive.” Without hesitation, Korosensei swallowed the bomb whole. “Next time, pay attention to any odor components, too.”

“Yes, sir,” nodded the boy.

“And! Since you all worked together to make this pudding, you should all eat it together!” then added the octopus. “See? I’ve set aside nice, clean portions for you!”

Ame could only grin as she realized it was true. True to himself, their teacher had foiled their assassination attempt, turned it into a lesson, and then proceeded to make their failure all the sweeter. She didn’t hesitate in grabbing a cup of pudding for herself, impatient to try it out.

“We failed again, uh?” mused Maehara.

“And it was such a good plan, too,” added Kanzaki.

“A delicious plan, you mean,” replied Ame, enjoying the free food. “Hey, Kayano! Do you think you could lend me the recipe? I’m sure Ash would love it.”

“Of course!” beamed the girl. “I can send it to you.”

“That’d be great, thanks—“ Her phone started ringing. “Oops, sorry about that. Just a minute.”

She went to stand next to the window, perfectly aware of how her teacher was watching her every movement. While it had been a while since she had had to escape the campus, their deal was still on. If she wanted to take that job, she’d have to escape, and _fast_.

“Hello?”

**“Ame-chan, there’s trouble!”**

“W- what?” She let out, a tad loudly. Noticing the stares the other students shot her, she turned to the window and lowered her voice. “Obaa-san? What is it?”

**“I- I don’t know how to tell you… I just received a message from an inspector who’s going to drop by in less than two weeks!”**

“An inspector? Less than two weeks!?” Ame’s throat suddenly felt dry. “But why? You’ve been cleared from inspections, haven’t you? They’re supposed to only drop by once every five years, and they have to warn a month ahead! Why so suddenly?”

**“I- I don’t know! He said someone complained about- about the state of the house and that- that they were worried for the children… Ame-chan, what can I do? I’ll never be able to get the house ready in time!”**

“Someone complained…” The girl’s eyes suddenly widened in understanding, and her hand clenched on the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Look, I think I know what’s going on. Start doing what you can, I’ll come over to help right away.”

**“No, wait, your schoolwork—“**

“My family is way more important than this stupid school, Obaa-san,” scowled the girl. “And the real classes are only starting tomorrow. Just… don’t worry the kids, okay? I’ll handle this.”

Still under the shock of the news, her grandmother could only agree. As soon as she hung up, Ame grabbed her bag and made a move for the door. Just as she was about to leave, though, Korosensei appeared before her.

“You can’t leave, Naoki-san,” he remarked. “Or have you forgotten about our deal?”

“This has nothing to do with it!” she replied, clenching her fist. “Look, some trouble came up and I need to handle this right now. If I don’t, I- I don’t know what’ll happen, but it’ll tear my family apart.” She lowered her head. “I can’t let that happen so please, let me go.”

He considered her for a moment, before slowing nodding. “On one condition, Naoki-san: if you can’t handle this problem on your own… then come to us for help. Promise me that, and I’ll let you leave.”

The black-haired teen clicked her tongue in annoyance before glancing at the rest of the class, who was watching the exchange with worry, confusion and/or curiosity. Understanding she couldn’t win that fight, she sighed in defeat.

“Fine. I promise.”

Satisfied, her teacher stepped out of the way. She instantly rushed outside, already knowing who was behind all of this.

* * *

.

.

“ASANO!”

The students of the A-Class jumped in fright as a black-haired fury stormed inside, disturbing their relaxed dinner time. She was disheveled, panting slightly: she had obviously run all the way to their classroom.

“Oh? Naoki-san?” The boy’s fake surprise angered her even more. “What brings you here?”

“You _asshole_!” She walked up to him as if she was on a warpath and slammed her hands down on his desk, practically seething. “How dare you!?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know—“

“You know _exactly_ what I’m talking about!” she snapped. “You reported my home to the inspectors, didn’t you!?”

“Oh, that.” He leaned back in his seat with a shrug. “I merely did what any good citizen would do. Your house is improper and fails to respect the norms put in place for such residences. I’m looking out for the children who live there, really.”

“No, you’re looking out for yourself!” she spat. “You only did this because I refused to tell you what you wanted to hear!”

At that, his eyes glinted maliciously. “Then are you ready to talk? I can always nullify my report.”

She gaped at him for a few seconds, before baring her teeth. “There’s nothing to say! The E-Class doesn’t have any secrets, we’re just that good, and if your stupid ego still can’t accept that, then don’t drag my family into this!”

“I’m afraid I can’t help you, then,” he simply replied with a sigh. “Good day— _ugh_!”

She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him up so their eyes could meet and, in that very moment, he was frozen in place by the pure hellfire burning in them.

“If my family ends up hurt because of that little stunt of yours…” She tightened her grip as she spat out the next words like a curse. “Then _blood will spill_. Got it?”

She didn’t wait for him to answer, shoving him back in his seat so harshly he fell off. As the rest of the students rushed to his aid, she left the class with the now familiar, bitter taste of failure in her mouth.

He had won this fight, and she hated losing.

_But what do I do now? I can’t tell him about Korosensei, but there’s no way he’ll nullify his report…_

She stepped outside and stopped in her tracks, taking a moment to breathe. She then pulled out her phone, contemplating it without really knowing what to do.

_I told Obaa-san I’d handle things, but I probably only made them worse…_

::

_“On one condition, Naoki-san: if you can’t handle this problem on your own… then come to us for help. Promise me that, and I’ll let you leave.”_

::

She didn’t want to drag her classmates into this mess. It was a very personal problem, not at all in link to their assassination mission. But… she promised. And, well, she was a woman of her word, if nothing else.

_It’s not like I have much of a choice now, anyway._

She quickly dialed Rio’s number and, after the third ring, her friend answered.

**“Ame? What is it?”**

“I… I need your help,” sighed the teen. “Yours and… everyone else’s, if they don’t mind.”

**“It’s not like you to ask for help, so it must be something bad, uh?”**

“You have no idea.”

**“Well, I guess it’s a good thing we’re here then, right?”**

“Wait, what?”

Looking up, she glanced around, before her eyes landed on none other than the E-Class, who was standing on the other side of the yard. Rio waved her way with a cheeky grin. Letting out a disbelieving laugh, Ame hung up on her before quickly running up to them.

“What are you guys doing here?” she asked, confused and surprised at the same time.

“Korosensei told us you’d need our help so he gave us the rest of the day off,” answered the blonde, swinging an arm around her neck. “So? What’s going on?”

Ame bit her lower lip, before dropping off the bomb. “Yesterday, Asano Junior dropped off at my place. He wanted to get rid of that favor he owed me and I ended up being forced to use it after he accidentally found out about my job.”

“Right, those aren’t allowed by the school, uh?” recalled Maehara.

“Exactly. I made him swear he wouldn’t tell anyone about it,” confirmed Ame. “Thing is, he asked right after that about the secret of the E-Class.” They all tensed at that. “He knows something’s going on and he doesn’t seem too keen on giving up. I refused to tell him and insisted there wasn’t anything, so he left. I thought he was done with it, but…”

“But that wasn’t the case, I’m guessing?” mused Karma, his eyes slightly narrowed.

“He… he reported the house.” Ame lowered her eyes. “An inspector will come in less than two weeks, in exactly ten days.”

“Oh, that’s not good, is it?” flinched Rio.

“Reported the house?” repeated Sugaya, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I live with my grandmother, who owns a foster home,” answered Ame, rubbing the back of her head and slightly averting her eyes. “My siblings, whom many of you met at the Summer Festival, are all orphans or foster kids who were taken in at one point or the other. Because of that, though, the house we live in needs to respect many, many norms but, because of some financial difficulties, it’s very hard. At this point, I’m pretty sure we don’t respect most of them, to be honest. Patching things up before the inspector arrives is impossible. Or at least… not when we’re so few in numbers.” She finally dared to look up, biting her lower lip. “Rio, everyone… I know this has nothing to do with you or the assassination, but I’m asking for your help to save my home!” She bowed deeply. “I beg of you!”

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Then, Karma laughed.

“You’re an idiot, you know that?” he remarked, harshly ruffling her hair. “Of course we’ll help.”

“Considering how many of us there are, it shouldn’t be too hard, right?” added Okano.

“As long as we work together!” added Kayano.

“I’m in!” beamed Kurahashi.

“Obviously, I am too,” added Rio, rolling her eyes.

“You’ve- you’ve helped us out even though we never asked you…” Okuda looked up, determined. “I’ll return the favor!”

“Me too!”

“I’m in!”

“Let’s do this!”

“Everyone…” Ame felt some tears prickling her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away as she straightened up. “Right! Let’s go!”

* * *

.

.

“Well… this is it. Welcome to my home, I guess.”

For a moment, the students of the E-Class could only stare. They had grown so used to Ame’s… Ame-ness, that they were expecting some kind of super-protected building, or a haunted manor, or even a military base. So, finding out she lived in an almost-boringly normal house in an even more normal neighborhood was… well, surprising.

“Okay…” Rio turned to her friend, her smile twitching a bit. “So, where are the traps hidden?”

“Traps?” Ame snorted, walking up to the door without hesitation. “There aren’t any. Why would there be? It’s my home.”

“Yeah, I know, but I also know that you’re paranoid to the extreme,” replied the blonde. “And, I mean, is it really safe for you to live here like that, without any protection? You know, ‘cause of this whole you’re-a-target situation?”

“Well, I can’t deny there are many, many cameras and sensors hidden all around,” admitted the teen. “But you’re the first people outside the family and the inspectors to come here for, like, years. Also, I’ve got good friends. Assassins will have a hard time finding me, trust me.”

“Oh, I can believe that,” sweatdropped Maehara. “Though honestly, I was expecting pointy fences and electric wires, not a run-down house and a garden gnome.”

Isogai instantly elbowed him. “Don’t be rude!”

“Nan, it’s fine,” assured Ame with a shrug. “It _is_ run-down. And, for your information, the electric wires are around the windows. I’ll have to take them off later, though.”

At that, all students heaved in relief. _That’s more like Ame!_

She gestured for them to wait outside. The house wasn’t that big, so she doubted she could fit everyone comfortably inside. She quickly went to find her grandmother, who was in the kitchen trying to pull wood splinters out of the counter. Her fingers were covered in blood because of many failed attempts.

“Obaa-san!” Ame quickly grabbed her hands to stop her. “Don’t push yourself like that! If you get hurt, it won’t be of any help!”

“R- right…” The woman sighed before going to wash her hands. “Did you find something, Ame-chan?”

“Well, I know who reported it and why, but that won’t be of help,” admitted the teen. “So, instead, I brought along a few more pairs of hands to help out!”

Her grandmother tilted her head in confusion and Ame gently grabbed her arm to guide her outside. When they stepped out, it was only to find the E-Class already working on the exterior of the building. Some were pulling out weeds, others were cleaning the garbage, and some more had started rearranging the stones in the entrance so no one would trip over them.

“What… Who—“

“Hey, everyone!” exclaimed Ame, gaining their attention. “This is my grandmother! Obaa-san, these are my classmates—my friends. They’ve come to help.”

Still a little flabbergasted, the old woman could only nod slowly as the rest of the teens greeted her loudly, waving their hands or grinning brightly.

“Okay, everyone!” then exclaimed Ame. “We’ve got a lot of material, but we’ll need loads of paints, nails, wood and whatever else that’s necessary to repair the entire house!”

“We can use what’s left of the stuff we used for the pudding!” suggested Kayano.

“And we have more than enough material at the campus since we’re always repairing the building!” added Maehara.

“I’ve got paint at my house,” added Yoshida. Everyone looked at him at that, and he shrugged. “We just repainted the entire house. We still have a lot of it, though.”

“Then we need three teams: one that goes back to school to get the material, another that’ll go get the paint from Yoshida’s place, and a third one that’ll go bye what we need still. I’ll handle expenses, so don’t worry about that stuff. Those who stay here can get started right away, and I will go and pick up the kids early so they can help out,” quickly listed off Ame.

“Niryufufufu! There’s no need to worry about expenses or material!”

All of the students jumped at the sudden appearance of their teacher. Ame’s grandmother simply blinked, unsure of when the strange-looking fellow had arrived.

“Korosensei!” exclaimed Nagisa.

“Obaa-san, why don’t you go fetch the kids instead?” instantly suggested Ame. “I’ll hold down the fort for now, okay?”

“R- right…”

As soon as the old woman left, all students reported their attention on the disguised octopus.

“Spill,” ordered Ame. “What do you mean?”

“Well, from what I’ve understood, you ended up in such a situation because you kept your promise and refused to speak a word of me or your government-issued mission to that other student,” mused their target. “I’ve managed to convince Karasuma-sensei that this is for the better of the assassination and so the government will provide you with the necessary materials to rebuild. Look!” He vanished for half-a-second before reappearing, dozens of bags full of construction material and other necessities lying on the ground. “However! I am unfortunately not allowed to actively participate in the project myself, so you are on your own from here on out.”

“That- that’s more than enough!” gasped Ame, her eyes wide. “Thank you!”

“Niryufufufu! Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Good day!”

And he disappeared yet again. There was a moment of stunned silence, before Rio clasped her hands together, the noise drawing everyone else’s attention.

“Alright! Let’s get to it!”

“Yeah!”

* * *

Ame quickly made a list of what could potentially earn a bad report from the inspector and the E-Class’s students were quick to get to work. Isogai, Ame, and Yoshida instantly started on the roof, which was leaking. Okajima and Kimura got to work on smoothing over and repairing the stairs, while Karma, Kataoka, and Hayami did the same on the walls in the kitchen, the living room, and the bathroom. The others weren’t in rest: Sugaya volunteered to repair some of the doors, Chiba and Mimura were tasked with sanding the furniture, Takebayashi and Ritsu started checking all of the electronics in the house, Rio, Hazama, and Fuwa kept on cleaning the front-yard while Maehara and Yada cleaned the backyard, Muramatsu and Terasaka took up the challenge of repairing the entryway, Hara started making an inventory of the food to get rid of whatever was rotten or stale while Okuda did the same but for the various cleaning chemicals and the medicine cabinet, Nagisa and Sugino started painting the outside walls of the house, and Okano and Kanzaki took it upon themselves to clean up the rest of it.

As soon as Ame’s grandmother came back with the children, Ame took a break from the roof to explain what was going on. She wisely avoided the whole ‘the-government-is-kinda-founding-the-whole-project’ situation, simply saying all of the material was a gift from her friends. Once the children were made aware of what exactly was going on, though, they were more than eager to help. After all, while it could be difficult at times because of the lack of money, they were a family, and they wouldn’t give up on that so easily. So, pulling up their sleeves, all of the kids started cleaning up their rooms. Or rather, they dragged most of their stuff out of said rooms so they could re-paint the walls.

Kayano started painting the girls’ room with the help of Rin, Amaya, and Ash while Kurahashi handled the boys’ room with the help of Jackie and Kiba. As for their caretaker, well, she took care of Leo while going around and checking up on everyone, offering water, snacks, and praises on the way.

“Where’s the box of nails?”

“Can you pass me the screwdriver?”

“Crap, I think I sanded a tad too much over there…”

“Ouch! Why’d you hit my feet!?”

“I’m running off to the store to get some more paint, does anyone needs anything?”

“Oi, Terasaka! You’re in the way!”

“Shut up, Karma!”

All in all, it was a rather eventful day. Or rather, it was an eventful ten days. Each day after school, they dropped by to help out however they could. It was a lot of time and efforts but, by the time they were done, the result… was simply perfect.

The house looked as good as new, with a good layer of fresh brown paint. The roof wasn’t leaking anymore, there were no more cracks in the entryway and the front-yard was cleaned from all weeds and other garbage. The inside was also impressive: there were no more splinters coming out of the furniture, the stairs were gleaming under the light, the doors could actually be closed and locked, and the walls had received a second chance at life. Isogai, Maehara, Rio, and Kurahashi had volunteered to come back the next day and help put on the second layer of paint on the walls the next day, too, since there was no school, and they’d be done in time. Sure, the smell of paint would weigh heavily in the air still, but they’d leave all of the windows open and the worst of it would be gone in time for the inspector’s visit.

“We did it…” Unable to help it, Ame threw herself in Rio’s arms, laughing. “Oh my God, we did it!”

At her joyous exclamation, the last of the tension weighing in the air vanished, and the students started congratulating each other on a job well done. The children started cheering and _yes_ , Ame might have shed a tear or two.

“Guys…” She took a step back to fully look at them. “I don’t know how to thank you. Thanks to you… thanks to you, my family is safe!”

“Well, what are friends for, hm?” grinned Rio.

Ame could only grin back at that.

“Well, you might not know how to thank them, but I do!” Everyone snapped their eyes to Ame’s grandmother, who smiled at them. “All of you, stay over for my famous dorayaki! I insist!”

“Eh? It’s been a while since I’ve eaten those,” mused Karma.

“Well, can’t say I’m not hungry,” chuckled Sugino, rubbing his stomach.

“Ooh, I’ll help out!” happily exclaimed Ash.

“Mind if I join you?” suggested Hara.

“Oh, me too!” nodded Muramatsu.

“Of course, of course!” laughed the old woman. “The more, the merrier! Though, we might have some difficulties fitting in the dining room…”

“We can do them outside,” shrugged Ame. “We can bring some tables and set everything up outside while you guys take care of the food.”

“Then that’s settled!” agreed her grandmother, clasping her hands together. “Chop, chop!”

* * *

.

.

The next morning, as agreed on, Isogai, Maehara, Rio, and Kurahashi came back to help Ame and the children put the final touches on the dry paint and other smalls details. It was a quick job and they worked efficiently and so, by noon, they were done. Just as they were enjoying some home-made dangos, though, there was a knock on the door, which made them tense.

_The inspector’s here!_

Ame’s grandmother went to answer and, a few seconds later, a stern-looking woman came in. She seemed rather uptight, probably not prone to let a single detail slip by, and Ame was suddenly glad they had worked so hard the day before. She was wearing a knee-length skirt, a white blouse, and even some gloves! There was also something… familiar, in the woman’s eyes, but the girl couldn’t quite place it.

 _It’s a woman who gets the job done_ , she analyzed. _If she finds anything that might lead to her having a single doubt about my grandmother’s capacity of taking care of so many children, she won’t hesitate to break us apart._

“I am Ichinose Akane, the inspector sent to investigate this house,” she presented herself. She pulled out some papers, quickly looking over them. “We received a report from an anonymous source about this house which, quite frankly, worried us a bit. So, we’ll start with a thorough examination of the property. Once that is done, I will spend a few minutes alone with each person who lives in this house…” She then glanced at the baby in Ame’s arms, and her eyes softened slightly. “Well, saved for the little one, of course.”

 _A joke?_ Ame quickly reevaluated her previous analysis of the woman. _She does her job well, but that’s because she actually cares. She wants the kids happy as much as we do, meaning she’s not the enemy._

“Why don’t we start with the front yard?” the inspector then suggested.

“Right away,” nodded Ame’s grandmother, obviously nervous. “Ame-chan, would you mind looking after the kids while we’re at it? Maybe bring them to the park?”

“No problem. The inspection should take what, around an hour?” wondered the teen, glancing curiously at Ichinose-san.

“More or less,” she confirmed.

“Then we’ll be back in an hour,” nodded Ame. She then looked at her friends. “You guys want to come with us?”

“Well, I’ve got nothing better to do,” shrugged Maehara.

“Beats lazing around in my room,” joked Rio.

“Sure! It’ll be fun!” beamed Kurahashi.

“I’ve got work later, but I guess I still have some time,” smiled Isogai.

“Great! I’ll go get the kids, then,” smiled back Ame. “I’ll see you later, Obaa-san, Ichinose-san.”

The five teens wasted no time in leaving the two adults alone. Ame went to fetch the kids, who were in their rooms, and the little group was soon off in direction of the park, which was only a few minutes away. The kids were a little tensed because of the ongoing inspection, but Rio and Maehara were doing their best to light up the atmosphere.

“I sure hope you didn’t hide candies under your beds!” joked Rio.

Ame was about to laugh, but said laugh died on her lips when she suddenly remembered a very important detail that had escaped her up until now.

::

_She had finished hiding the last of her weapons under her bed (her grandmother couldn’t bend because of her old back so she wouldn’t be able to find them) when someone knocked at her door._

::

“Oh fuck,” she let out, unable to help it.

At that, everyone stopped in their tracks, startled.

“Ame-san?” blinked Isogai.

“I… do, have some stuff hidden under my bed,” she admitted, a little pale. She shot a look at her classmates. “School stuff.”

It took them a few seconds to understand what she was saying but, once they did, they became as pale as her.

“School stuff?” repeated Kiba, confused. “Why would you be in trouble for hiding school stuff under your bed?”

“’C- cause that might make the inspector think I don’t take school seriously!” answered quickly the girl, growing more and more agitated.

“But you don’t,” flatly pointed out Rin.

“Well, she might think I’m a bad influence on you!”

“That’s ‘cause you are!” chirped in Jackie.

“That’s not—ugh! Not the point!” huffed Ame, shaking her head. “I’m going back to clean things up. Maehara, Kurahashi, do you mind watching over the kids while Rio, Isogai and I handle this?”

“Sure thing!” replied Maehara with a military salute.

“Don’t get caught!” added Kurahashi.

In the kids’ eyes, she was joking. To her classmates, though, the message was clear: _“If you get caught, we’re all in trouble!”_

So, wasting no time, Ame, Rio, and Isogai quickly ran back to the house. Once there, Ame went inside alone, to see where exactly they were with the examination.

“Ame-chan?”

They were in the living room, then.

“Jackie forgot his sweater!” she said, quickly running up the stairs. “My friends are watching over the kids, don’t worry!”

“Okay!”

Ame dashed into her room as soon as she arrived upstairs, silently closing the door behind her. She then went to the window and signaled for Rio and Isogai to get closer. She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed the blonde’s number.

Her friend answered in a heartbeat.

 **“So, what do we do?”** she asked.

“We have a few minutes,” answered Ame. “I’ll throw out my bags, but you guys have to catch them, else the noise will get their attention. Just hide them in the bushes, since they already checked outside.”

**“How many are there?”**

“Err…” Ame bent down to check, grimacing a little when seeing there were a few more bags of weapons than first thought. “A few? Let’s just do this quickly and silently.”

**“Why do I have a feeling it’s more than ‘a few’? But anyway, let’s get to it already. I saw them move to the kitchen.”**

“Right on it.”

Ame hung up before pulling out the first bags. She then opened her window and, once certain her friends were in position, she threw a first one outside. Isogai caught it, though he obviously stumbled under the weight, and instantly went to hide it while Rio took his place. She easily caught the second bag, and Ame wasted no time in grabbing the next ones. They worked like that for a few minutes, careful not to make a noise. Ame had many bags of weapons, and some required to be handled more delicately than others, hence why it took them some time. Just as she grabbed the last one, though, her phone rang.

“Rio? What is it?”

**“We saw them through the window, they’re coming up!”**

“Crap! You two hide, I’ll be fine!”

Ame swung the bag over her shoulder and, without hesitation, threw herself out the window. She grabbed the edge at the last second, using the momentum to swing herself up on the roof. A moment later, she heard the door of her room open.

“And this would be…?”

“Ame-chan’s room.”

“And Ame is your actual granddaughter, isn’t she?”

“Aa. After her parents died in that awful car crash, I took her in. It’s only afterward that I signed up in the program to open up this foster home.”

“I see.”

Ame exhaled in relief as they kept on chatting, obviously unaware of her presence. She then looked down, only to find her friends hiding behind the car. The three of them exchanged some thumbs up, glad to have avoided _that_ particular shit-show.

 _I’m so glad I remembered in time. I mean, I would have had a pretty hard time explaining the katana and the stun-gun, seriously. And don’t get me started on those government-issued knives!_ That _would have been a mess._

* * *

The three classmates returned to the park as soon as the path was cleared. The weapons carefully hidden, they offered reassuring grins to the other two: mission accomplished. After what, they spent the rest of the hour relaxing and playing with the kids. Once the time was up, though, Ame’s classmates headed back home—after making her promise she’d contact them as soon as she got the results of the inspection.

The little family then headed back home. When they arrived, it was only to find their caretaker and the inspector having some tea in the kitchen. After what, they were all sent to wait in the living room while Ichinose-san started with the interviews, going from the youngest to the oldest (which meant Ame was the last to go, which meant she was rather on edge). However, as the minutes went by, the kids came out of the kitchen with small smiles no their faces, which allowed her to relax and, when her turn came, she was more than ready.

“So, let’s start with some basic questions,” suggested the inspector with a small smile, a notepad and a pencil in her hands. “Like, what’s your name? How old are you? And what school are you attending?”

“My name is Naoki Ame, I’m fifteen, and I attend Kunugigaoka Academy,” she answered smoothly. “And before you ask, my grandmother took me in at the age of four after both of my parents died in a car crash. The other children were all taken in afterward.”

“I see. It’s come to my attention that your family may struggle financially from time to time,” she then remarked, looking through her previous notes. “Is that true?”

“Yes,” replied bluntly Ame. “We’re a little tight on money, but it’s not like we can’t afford what we need. There’s always food on the table, everyone goes to school, and… well, we’re happy. That’s all that matters, right?”

She smiled a little at that, but it dropped quickly. “I’ve also been made aware that you have a job, but none of the children nor your grandmother were able to tell me what exactly it consisted of. Would you mind clearing that up?”

“Oh, I just handle computer problems for older people,” shrugged Ame without an ounce of hesitation. “It’s pretty late because, for one reason or the other, old people don’t sleep that much. Also, it works better with my school schedule.”

“Right…” She didn’t seem all that convinced, but it’s not like she was there to play the police either. “Well, other than that… Do you have any complaint? Or worries? About your life here, I mean.”

“I don’t,” assured instantly the young girl. “These kids… I’ve lived with them for most of my life. They’re my little brothers and sisters, you know? I know none of us are related by blood, but we’re family, and that’s more than enough for me.”

At that, her smile returned. “I see. I’m glad to hear it. Though… computer problems for older people? _Really_ , Ame?”

The teen stiffened at the tone of voice that had suddenly, drastically changed into something much, much more familiar. It’s only when she noticed the amused glint in the woman’s eyes that she understood.

“I- Isana!” she gasped, almost falling off her chair. “What the hell!?”

“Well, when I heard about your little predicament, I couldn’t help but get involved, you know?” mused the woman, leaning back in her seat. “I thought you’d have a hard time fooling an actual inspector, you know? Though, I honestly wasn’t expecting this. Last time I dropped by, this place looked like a wreck.”

“Yeah, well, I had some help from my classmates,” admitted the teen, allowing herself to relax at last. “Still can’t believe it’s you… Your costumes are as terrifyingly realist as always. Where’s the real inspector, then?”

“Sent her to the wrong address,” shrugged the spy. “Thanks to that little stunt, the government will find out and get to dispatch a small drug ring for free. They’re welcome, really.”

“Oh, please. As if that didn’t benefit us,” snorted the teen.

“Touché. Anyway, even if a real inspector dropped by, you’d have passed the inspection with flying colors,” admitted Isana, gathering her papers. “My work here is done. Good job, Ame.”

“Thanks for the help, Isana,” replied Ame, relieved. “Though a little head’s up would have been appreciated. Do you have any idea how much trouble I just went through to hide all of my weapons?”

“Yeah, seeing you guys throw those bags out the window was rather entertaining,” she replied, unrepentant. “Also, you owe me one for distracting your grandmother while you pulled that stunt.”

 _Well, guess we weren’t as subtle as I thought_ , sweatdropped the girl.

“I’ll see you around, then,” concluded Isana, picking up her bag. “And stop getting in trouble, would you?”

“Where would the fun in that be?”

The woman chuckled at that, before heading out. Once she was gone, Ame let out a sigh. They had more than lucked out on this one, seriously. Though, in the end, maybe it wasn’t all that bad: her family and her classmates got to meet, which was cool, and, in the end, they even got the house fully repaired and repainted without spending a single yen on it! And, well, she couldn’t deny that working with her friends on something other than the assassination had been fun too. It… kind of reminded her of the Zodiac, to be honest. A big team, working in synch flawlessly…

 _I never thought my third year would turn out like this,_ she mused, glancing at the blue sky through the window. _An assassination to save the world, an alien-octopus for sensei, making actual friends, and even succeeding in my studies… Honestly, I can’t wait to see what the second term has got in store for us._


	23. Twenty-Third Period: New Classmate Time!

Ame couldn’t stop a grin from stretching her lips as she jumped from one tree to the other, fast and agile on her feet. If there was one thing she was good at, it was parkour, which Karasuma had only just included in the curriculum of the PE class. Actually, it was a parkour turned Cops and Robbers, which was even more fun. Physical training _and_ a game at the same time?

_I’m going to nail this training!_

The students were let loose in the forest, allowed to run and hide wherever they wanted as long as they didn’t leave the mountain. They only had a few minutes before Karasuma and Korosensei, who acted as the cops, entered the game.

Also, if they got caught, they had double the homework, so they had a good incentive.

“Oi, Ame! How’d you get up there?” wondered Rio.

“I climbed using those rocks,” replied Ame, jabbing her thumb at said rocks, which were a little higher. “Against Karasuma-sensei, height will be an advantage.”

“Not if he climbs those trees, it won’t,” snorted Maehara.

“At least Korosensei isn’t part of the chase,” added Sugino. “Else we’d really be screwed.”

“And there’s the time limit too!” added Okano. “Karasuma-sensei won’t be able to tag the entire class in such a short time, that’s for sure!”

“Don’t get overconfident!” replied Ame, jumping on yet another tree. “If you stay in groups, he’ll have an easier time getting everyone, so spread out as much as you can!”

“Please, as if he could—“

All of their phones buzzed at once. Curious, they stopped in their tracks to check, only to find Ritsu dressed up as a cop grinning at them.

“Okajima-kun, Hayami-san, Chiba-kun, Fuwa-san! Out!” she announced, with the pictures of the four students crossed out just next to her.

“No- no way!” gasped Sugaya.

“Told you so!” laughed Ame. “Don’t underestimate Karasuma-sensei. See you guys later!”

“Wait, Ame—“

But the girl was already gone, listening to her own advice. Just as they were about to take off, though, their phones buzzed yet again.

“Sugaya-san, Bitch-sensei! Out!” announced Ritsu.

“You know what? I think I’ll listen to Ame,” sweatdropped Rio, putting away her phone.

“He’s- he’s picking us out one after the other!” gaped Maehara.

“Okay, everyone goes into a different direction at my signal!” ordered Fuwa, not wasting any time. “One, two—“

‘SLAP’ ‘SLAP’ ‘SLAP’ ‘SLAP’

“—three?” Okano blinked a few times. “What was that noise—“

“You four are under arrest,” announced none other than Karasuma, suddenly appearing before them.

“Wait, what?” blinked Rio.

All four students looked at their backs, where the red imprint of their teacher’s hand clashed greatly with the blue fabric of their shirts. They had been tagged without even noticing it!

“How about we just listen to Ame next time?” suggested Maehara, his eye twitching a little.

The other three nodded in agreement before making their way to jail, dragging their feet the whole way.

* * *

“So they’ve been caught, uh?” mused Ame, sitting lazily at the top of yet another tree.

From there, she could clearly see the jail where the tagged students (and the teacher) were forced to do drills and homework under the careful watch of Korosensei. She _had_ thought of trying to free them but soon gave up on the idea. There was no way she could tag any of them if their teacher was so focused on defense.

“Oh no!” suddenly gasped Ritsu. “All of the prisoners have escaped!”

“Uh?”

Ame reported her attention on the jail. As told, it was practically empty, saved for Korosensei and Irina. It didn’t take long for the girl to figure out he had been bribed, what with the pink hue his skin had taken while he gazed upon a paper (which she guessed was a picture of some sort).

“Takebayashi-kun, Kimura-kun, Yada-san, Hara! Out!” then announced Ritsu.

“Man, Karasuma-sensei sure is fast,” she mused, crossing her arms behind her head to get more comfortable. “Too bad he’s not fast enough.”

“Are you _sure_ about that.”

“Holy shit!”

Startled, Ame rolled off her branch. Just as she was about to catch her fall by grabbing a lower branch, though, a hand latched itself around her ankle and pulled her back up. She let out a nervous chuckle as her eyes met her teacher’s.

“Hey, Karasuma-sensei… Fancy seeing you here, uh?”

“You’re the last person I expected to catch, Naoki,” he admitted, apparently a tad annoyed. His eye was even twitching. “Take this training more seriously!”

“Hey, in my defense, I didn’t think you’d be able to climb that high,” she huffed, before rolling her eyes. “But… Okay, fine: I’ve grown complacent. I’ll do better next time.”

He nodded, taking her word for it. Then, a somewhat evil smirk graced his lips, and he released her ankle. She let out a startled yelp as she started falling, only barely able to grab the branch she had been aiming for earlier. By the time she had regained her balance, though, her teacher was already back on the ground.

“Oi, what was that for?” she snapped. “If I hadn’t managed to catch my fall, I could have cracked my skull open and died from blood loss, and it would have been on you!”

“Stop whining and get to jail already,” he flatly replied.

She rolled her eyes at that. He was already gone when she got back on the ground, and she wasted no time in heading for the jail. After all, the quicker the got there, the faster she’d get out. When she arrived, though, she was met with yet another empty jail (saved for Irina whom, for some reason, was lying down in the sand and wasn’t moving).

“Ah, Naoki-san!” greeted Korosensei, obviously into character. “Take place—“

“I’ve got a pack of bubblegum,” she said, handing it over. “It’s yours if you let me leave.”

“… deal. Go!”

She grinned, throwing the pack at him. “Pleasure doing business with you!”

And she took off once more, this time determined to take the training to heart.

* * *

Ame had been running on the ground, deciding to save some of her strength, when she felt someone reaching out for her. She instantly dropped to the ground and made a barrel, barely escaping a second tag. She then found herself facing her teacher once again.

“How did you get out, Naoki?” he asked, a vein pulsing on his forehead.

“You’ve got a crooked cop in your ranks,” she replied, taking a fighting stance. “But as you’ve asked, I’m now taking this training seriously. You can’t catch me!”

Without warning, she kicked the ground, throwing dirt in his face. Her fighting stance had made him lower his guard, which worked to her advantage as she gained two full seconds of advance on him. She took off into the trees, running so fast they were but two dark blurs amongst the trees. She could tell the man was hot on her trail, and adrenaline started pumping through her veins as she accelerated the pace.

She jumped from one rock to the other, sliding on the ground and pouncing on the trees around at a fast pace. He tried more than once to tag her, but she avoided his hand every time by a hair. She started grinning at some point, though she didn’t notice. What she _did_ notice, though, was the group of four students that suddenly appeared ahead of her.

“Incoming!” she yelled.

They startled at her voice, their eyes widening when they realized she was being pursued. She dashed ahead of them, though they didn’t waste any time and started running too, barely out of their teacher’s reach.

“Attention everyone!” suddenly exclaimed Ritsu, drawing all’s attention. “It’s game over! The robbers win!”

As soon as she said that, the four students (who were actually Karma, Nagisa, Sugino, and Kayano) dropped to the ground, exhausted by their sudden mad dash. Ame fell to her knees, panting harshly… and started laughing.

“Whew! That was _awesome_!” She was a tad breathless, a sign she should probably make some parkour again in the near future. “Thanks for the fun chase, Karasuma-sensei!”

He simply sighed. “And here I thought you took this seriously…”

“Hey, I escaped you, didn’t I?” she pointed out.

He sighed yet again, conceding the point. After what, he wasted no time heading back to the campus, where the jail was situated: he had a certain _crooked_ _cop_ to deal with.

* * *

“So… how’d you get caught the first time?”

For only answer, Ame showed Rio the tag around her ankle.

“… Ame, what the _fuck.”_

* * *

.

.

“Ah, what a good start to the second term!” sighed happily Korosensei. “The relationship of trust I share with my students is only growing stronger.”

“Guess so,” shrugged Ame, carrying a box of papers. “Though, why did I have to come here so early in the morning again?”

“Punishment for bribing be with bubblegum,” he replied simply.

“You’re the one who took the damn bribe in the first place!” she protested.

They reached the classroom, and Korosensei slid the door open. “Well, one way or another, today, too, my precious students will gaze upon me with such affection—“ He stopped in his tracks at the sudden, numerous glares sent his way. “Such disgust!?”

Ame walked in afterward, confused by the weird atmosphere reigning in the class. “What’s going on, guys?”

“Read!” replied Rio, shoving some magazines in her already-full hands.

Ame somehow managed to put down the box of papers, before reading over the titles of the magazines.

_ “A Quiet Neighborhood Shaken! _

_ A Yellow Menace Targets F-Cups and Above!” _

_ “Exclusive! Late-Night Terror In Kunugigaoka: Underwear Thief On the Loose!” _

_ “Underwear Thief Strikes Again!” _

_ “Only After F-Cups and Above!” _

_ “A Yellow Man’s ‘Niryufufufu’ Echoing Through the Night!” _

“…what?”

“This is totally you, isn’t it?” Fuwa accused their teacher.

“Honestly, we’re disappointed,” added Mimura.

“How could you do such a thing?” asked Kataoka, crossing her arms over her chest.

“N- no, wait!” protested their teacher, panic creeping in his tone. “I don’t know anything about this!”

“So, what’s your alibi?” replied Hayami.

“My alibi?”

“Where were you late at night on the day of this incident, and what were you doing?” she explained.

“What was I doing…?” Korosensei thought it over for a moment. “I was moving from ten thousand to three thousand meters altitude, shaking a bag of seasoned fries.”

“Like anyone can prove that!” protested Okajima.

“Did it work?” wondered Ame, curious.

“Is that _really_ the question you should be asking?” sweatdropped Rio.

Ame rolled her eyes, putting down the magazines. “Guys, this is stupid. Even if Korosensei _is_ a pervert, he wouldn’t go that far. The last thing he wants is to lose the trust we placed in him, after all. Why would he jeopardize it so recklessly? Also, he never lied to us before: why do so now? And finally… well, let’s be honest: if he wanted some female underwear, he’d just put on a disguise to go and buy it at the cheapest store possible, along with his dirty magazines.”

“Ame-san’s right,” nodded Isogai. “Korosensei may be full of the little desires of the flesh, but all he’s really done so far is read discarded dirty magazines, be bought off with swimsuit pics, stare intently at pin-ups during free periods, send in postcards saying ‘ _hand-bras are so blah! Let me do a tentacle-bra!_ ’…” Isogai’s rant wavered as he suddenly realized those were pretty bad already. “Korosensei… just turn yourself in already.”

“Right, right!”

“Down go big boobs!!!”

“Kayano, just don’t.”

“Guys, did no one just listen to me?” groaned Ame. “I’m telling you Korosensei didn’t do it and even if he _did,_ he wouldn’t have gotten caught doing so.”

“Naoki-san is right! I’m an innocent man!” insisted the octopus. “If you still don’t believe me, I’ve got just the thing to prove just how rational I am: the pin-up collection in my desk!”

Far from being convinced but somehow hoping to be proved wrong, the students followed him to the staff room. There, he opened his drawer and started throwing away his dirty magazines.

“I’ll get rid of every last one of them—“ He froze in place as he suddenly pulled out an F-cupped, purple bra from the drawer. “W- what…?”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” muttered Terasaka.

“Everyone, check out the class roll book!” suddenly exclaimed Okano. “See the letters next to all the girls’ names? He’s researched all our cup sizes!”

“Oi, why am I the only one marked ‘Forever Flat’!?” cried Kayano, outraged.

“And this here…” Maehara picked up a sheet from the ground. “It’s a list of the women in Kunugigaoka with at least an F-cup!”

“Wait, I… that can’t…”

Their teacher faltered under the numerous, disgusted stares. Practically shaking, he suddenly pulled out a camping fridge.

“Oh, that’s right! I was getting ready for an after-school barbecue!” He opened it. “See, don’t these skewers look tasty—argh!”

Instead of pulling out meat, he pulled out… bras.

 _Again_.

“This isn’t good,” paled Sugino.

“I can’t believe this,” added Kataoka.

“So filthy,” added Fuwa.

Ame didn’t say anything more, simply narrowing her eyes.

* * *

.

.

The bell rang, announcing the end of the school day. Their teacher, who had been down in the dumps ever since the incident with the bras, wasted no time in biding his goodbyes and locking himself in the staff room.

As soon as he left, Karma let out a laugh.

“Ah, we really put him through the wringer today, uh?” he remarked, amused. “Guess he couldn’t stand the heat.”

“But did he really do it?” then wondered Nagisa. “I mean, it’s a serious crime…”

“Compared to blowing up the Earth, it’s downright adorable,” pointed out the redhead.

“He obviously didn’t do it,” however retorted Ame, leaning back in her seat. “I mean, the guy has a _Mach-20 speed._ He wouldn’t be caught in the act so easily. And all that mess with the bras this morning? I mean, he’s not stupid enough to leave that around.”

“Ame’s right,” agreed Karma. “I mean, such shoddy evidence…”

He threw something at Nagisa, who caught it. It was a basketball… with a bra tied around it.

“A ball from the equipment shed,” informed the boy. “He’d have to know that if he did this, he’d be dead to us as a teacher. For that teaching-mad monster, I’d think losing our trust with this nonsense is right up there with getting assassinated in terms of things he wants to avoid.”

“Isn’t that like, exactly what I said before?” sweatdropped Ame.

“Well, one way or another, if he didn’t do it… then who did?” then asked Rio.

“An impostor,” answered Fuwa, growing excited. “That color, his laugh… Make no mistake: it’s a fake Korosensei! The old hero-movie bad-guy trope in action! So the culprit is someone deeply familiar with Korosensei. Ritsu! Would you look for clues with me?”

“Well, I don’t know _why_ they’d do something like this, but if this rumor rides our bounty-buddy out of town—not _you,_ Ame--, we’ll lose everything,” resumed Karma. “Let’s beat the real criminal silly and put that octopus in our debt.”

“Yeah!” agreed the other students.

Ame simply shook her head. “Sorry, no can do. I’ve got work tonight. You guys be careful, okay?”

“If your job is more fun than a secret mission, then I _really_ hope you let me in on it one day,” grumbled Rio.

“I’ll let you in on a secret: it’s _another_ secret mission,” deadpanned the teen.

That made the blonde laugh. “Ah! Just get going already. I’ll get my answers one day!”

Rolling her eyes, Ame waved, biding her goodbyes to everyone, before heading out. Frankly, there _was_ a mission tonight, but it would only take an hour, two at most. She would have gotten home in time to bid goodnight to the kids, but she guessed it’d have to wait.

_As soon as the mission’s over, I’m finding this impostor._

* * *

.

.

 **“I found him,”** announced Inu. **“Get ready to move in.”**

“Copy that,” replied Kitsune.

 **“Understood,”** added Buru.

The mission was simple, extremely so: find the target, bring him back to the client alive. From what she had gathered, said the target was a guy who went rogue to start his own drug ring, and his ex-boss didn’t exactly appreciate having his clients, territory, and merchandise stolen from him. Usually, Inu would have been able to complete the mission on his own but, since their target had surrounded himself with a tad too many bodyguards, Saru felt more comfortable sending Buru as a backup. As for Kitsune, well, she had a slightly different mission: use the confusion to steal the money, some of the merchandise, and any records she could find. After all, the Zodiac still had their own problems to handle.

**“Now!”**

At Inu’s signal, both he and Buru broke into the storage unit. Kitsune waited exactly ten seconds before moving in. All of the guards were busy fending off the two masked men while their target cowered in the back, which worked in her favor. She used the opportunity to jab a small needle in the man’s arm, rendering him almost immediately unconscious. After all, it wouldn’t do if their main objective managed to escape. After what, she got to work. She started emptying the drawers, the bags, the safes, everything. Used to this kind of work, she easily recognized what was valuable and what was useless, so she worked quickly.

Just as she closed her bag, though, her instincts screamed at her to drop down—so she did. She managed to avoid the knife that swung over her head and kicked her attacked between the legs, making him stumble back. She slammed her elbow in the guy’s stomach before bringing it up under his chin, the blow so hard it made his fake tooth pop out. He collapsed, unconscious.

_MOVE!_

Kitsune jumped as killing intent suddenly filled the place. She wasn’t fast enough, though, and the fired bullet managed to graze her arm. Hissing in pain, she looked in the direction where she shot had come from… but found no one.

A few seconds later, Inu showed up, his eyes wide.

“Are you alright, Kitsune?” he exclaimed, rushing to her side. “I heard the gunshot!”

“I’m fine, nothing I can’t handle,” she assured, rising back to her feet.

Buru arrived at that very moment, obviously frowning. “I thought they were unarmed.”

“That’s what was written in the file,” confirmed Inu, frowning too. “Kitsune, did you see the person who shot you?”

“No, they were gone by the time I looked,” she sighed, holding her wound. It was far from being serious or lethal, but it _hurt._ “But… do you think it might have been an assassin? I mean, why not shoot you or Buru? You guys were the ones fighting.”

“If that’s the case, then that means said assassin somehow learned that you are not only part of the Zodiac, but also that you were coming on this mission tonight,” then pointed out Buru.

Inu’s frown deepened. “You can’t be suggesting—“

“I’d rather speak of this to Saru,” cut the older man. “Staying out in the open won’t do us any good. Kitsune, were you done?”

“Aa,” she nodded, picking up her bag. “I’m—ow! Bad move!”

She had tried grabbing the bag with her injured limb. Inu chuckled at that, taking it instead. She nodded gratefully, before the three of them quickly left. On their way out, Buru picked up their primary target, who was still unconscious thanks to Hana’s little creation, and Inu was careful to leave a jet-black business card on the table, on which was the distinct design of a dog, under which was written a single word:

_ZODIAC_

* * *

Ame was quickly patched up by Inu once they got back to their headquarters, while Samon went to report the mission directly to Saru. She could tell both he and Inu were extremely worried about what had happened earlier because if their hunch was right… then it probably meant someone from the group was a mole—a _traitor._

_This isn’t good. Those are just suspicions, but Saru will have to look into it. But there’s no way anyone here could be a traitor! We’ve all been a part of the Zodiac for years! Well, save for Red-Eye, but he’s more assassin than info-broker—he doesn’t have the necessary connections to manage something like that yet. But if none of us is a traitor, then it’ll cause discord and mistrust in the ranks, and we can’t have that! The entire organization is based on trust. If you take that away… If you take that away, the entire group could fall apart._

“Are you sure you’re okay, Ame?”

She glanced at Inu, who was frowning worryingly. “Yeah… Just worried, I guess. It feels like we can never catch a break, uh?”

“Ah! Tell me about it,” he snorted, ruffling her hair. His smile then dimmed. “I’m just glad you’re alright. When I heard that gunshot… I thought the worst had happened. You sure are a magnet for trouble, aren’t you?”

“Why does everyone say that?” huffed the teen, getting up. She then shook her head. “Whatever. If you guys don’t need me anymore, I’ve got an impostor to catch, so…”

“Impostor?”

“Someone acts as Korosensei to cause trouble and frame him,” she resumed, putting her jacket back on. She then pulled out her phone. “Hey, Ritsu? Where are you guys?”

“Ame-san!” exclaimed the purple-haired girl, appearing on her screen. “Korosensei is in trouble! Please, come quickly!”

“What—ugh, whatever. I’m coming over right now,” assured the teen. “Just give me your location—Oh, I’ll see you later, Inu!—yeah, so just give me your location, I’ll be there in a few.”

The man watched her leave, startled by her sudden departure, before letting out a small laugh.

_Not even a bullet can bring her down, uh?_

* * *

Ame reached the given location in barely a few minutes. They were close to their headquarters, which wasn’t exactly a comforting thought, but she pushed it aside for now. Just as she arrived, though, a flash of light illuminated the entire area, blinding her for a few seconds. When she managed to reopen her eyes, it was only to find Korosensei still standing and holding an unconscious Itona. Facing him was the white-clad bastard, behind which were Terasaka, Nagisa, Fuwa, Karma, and Kayano.

“There you have it, Shiro-san,” stated quietly Korosensei. “Leave him to the E-Class and go quietly. Oh, and SPREAD THE _ACCURATE_ WORD THAT I AM _NOT_ AN UNDERWEAR THIEF!”

“And I’m actually a B-cup!” added Kayano, still angry because of the incident with the class list. “A B-cup!”

Ame facepalmed at that. Why would the girl go and tell her bra size to that bastard? Considering the scheme he had just put in place, she was starting to wonder if he wasn’t a closet pervert. Shiro completely ignored her, though, his attention solely focused on Korosensei, who was holding his gaze without backing down. He wanted to take Itona as a student, and he wouldn’t accept a third refusal.

“ARGH!”

Itona suddenly regained consciousness and fell on the ground, writhing in pain.

“It hurts… It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!” he cried, shaking. “My head’s… killing me…! My brain’s about to burst!”

“Itona-kun!”

“With the shock of his repeated defeats, his tentacles are starting to gnaw away at his mind,” murmured Shiro. “This might just be all he can take… Why, he can’t even pull off this little scheme of mine.”

Ame narrowed her eyes at that. _He can’t mean—_

“Itona, if this all you’re capable of, the Organization will stop paying,” he suddenly warned. “It’s not that I don’t feel for you, but we have to cut our losses at some point if only to get the next model up and running—“

He was cut off as a knife suddenly flew just before his face, barely a few centimeters away from his eyes. There was a moment of stillness before all eyes fell on Ame, who had revealed her position. She was scowling at the man, twirling another knife between her fingers.

“A- Ame-san!” gasped Nagisa.

“Ya know, I’m kinda curious ‘bout this ‘next model’ of yours,” she remarked plainly. “Isn’t it illegal ta experiment on kids? And while I get that da government’s ready ta do anything ta kill Korosensei, I doubt da civilians will be as understanding. Think it’d make da front page on da news if an anonymous source spilled da beans?”

“… Naoki-san. You ought to be careful not to make threats you can’t back up,” he replied, narrowing his eyes. “You’ve already made some powerful enemies: I’d suggest you do not add some names to that list.”

“Oh, please,” she scoffed. “I’m, like, da second or third most wanted dead person in Japan. How worse could it get? Tche, just get lost already.”

He stared at her for a moment longer, before he shook his head and started walking away. “Do as you please. Itona, this is goodbye. You’re on your own from now on.”

“W- wait!” protested Korosensei. “What kind of guardian are you, anyway!?”

“Quit playing school, you monster,” retorted Shiro. “All you can do is break things—break everything. I will not countenance your existence. I wish only for your death… no matter what the sacrifice.” He then glanced at the teenagers frozen farther away. “Say, are you sure your dear students are okay like that?”

On which he vanished. Before anyone could ponder over his last remark, one of Itona’s tentacles suddenly lashed out toward the five students. Korosensei instantly moved to defend them, just in time, but that meant leaving an opening for the boy, who used it to escape. He had obviously gone mad if the animalistic look in his eyes was anything to go by.

“Ugh…”

Korosensei then collapsed.

“Ko- Korosensei!” panicked the students.

“Niryufufufu,” laughed tiredly the octopus. “As you might imagine, I’m pooped. Time for a little rest.”

“Are you sure?” replied Ame, joining them. “There’s a mad octopus-boy loose in the city. This kind of spells trouble, doesn’t it?”

“Well, if Korosensei is that exhausted, I doubt he’d be of much use in stopping him anyway,” pointed out Karma, before he noticed the bandage around her arm. “You were injured at your job?”

“Uh? Oh, another assassin showed up and shot me,” she replied with a shrug. She grimaced in pain, instantly regretting the movement. “The bullet only grazed me, so it’s no big deal.”

“You’re one crazy chick, you know that?” sweatdropped Terasaka.

“That may be so, but I’m also incredibly smart,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “Did anyone else notice the tone Shiro was using? He said all of that stuff as if he knew Korosensei personally. Ne, Korosensei! This guy absolutely _hates_ your guts. What’d you do to him?”

“I don’t recall ever meeting him before that first time in class,” he admitted, still laying on the grass.

“It did look like he had a personal grudge, though,” mused Fuwa, her detective brain working a mile a minute. “I know! He’s a man who lost everything when the moon was destroyed and who now seeks revenge!!!”

“Fuwa-san, I doubt Shiro-san lived on the moon,” pointed out Nagisa, obviously not convinced.

 _When the moon was destroyed…_ Ame’s eyes widened. _The night the lab exploded! Could Shiro be one of the scientists who was working on Korosensei? That’d explain why he has access to the experiments, and why he knows so much about him in the first place!_

“Ame, you know something?” suddenly asked Karma.

“W- what? What makes you say that?” she replied, startled.

He simply grinned, flicking her nose. “You have that look in your eyes. It usually happens when you figured something out.”

“Oh… Well, I think I might have an idea, but it’s really just a hunch,” she admitted, rubbing the back of her head. “I’d rather look more into it before sharing some half-assed theories.”

He nodded in understanding but, just as he was about to add something, all of their phones buzzed to draw their attention.

“Everyone, look at this!” exclaimed Ritsu.

Nagisa pulled out his phone so everyone could see what the purple-haired girl wanted to show them--it was the late news.

 **“Here’s where the first incident occurred,”** announced the host. It was followed by images of an utterly destroyed place. **“A string of attacks on cell phone shops throughout Kunugigaoka has the police discussing a potential terrorism link.”**

“Well that was fast,” snorted Ame.

“It’s gotta be him,” agreed Terasaka.

“But why cell phone shops?” wondered Fuwa.

“What should we do, sensei?” asked Kayano.

“As his teacher, I’ll take responsibility and stop him,” replied the octopus, suddenly back on his feet—well, tentacles. “I have to find him, protect him!”

“I think it’d be wiser to leave him alone,” however replied Karma, more serious.

“… Even so, I’m his teacher.” In the blink of an eye, he changed back into his teacher’s attire. “Don’t let go of your students, no matter what. When I became a teacher, that was my vow.”

There was a moment of silence before Ame sighed.

“Well, it’s not like we really have a choice, right?” she asked, cracking her knuckles. “Let’s go! We’ve got an octopus-boy to stop from rampaging.”

* * *

.

.

It had taken a while, but they had somehow managed to catch up to Itona. They found him crouching in an alley, not too far from one of the numerous shops he had utterly destroyed.

“N- nii-san…” he murmured when seeing their teacher.

“Korosensei, if you please,” replied the yellow octopus. “After all, I’m your teacher.”

“Don’t be goin’ nuclear on us now, Itona,” added Terasaka. “You put us through a lot of stuff, but we’ll let it slide. Just come with us quietly.”

“Shut up! We battle. This time… I’ll win!” exclaimed Itona, struggling to get back on his two feet, his legs shaking under the effort.

“Of course we can battle,” replied pleasantly Korosensei. “Maybe we two state secrets can find a vacant lot somewhere. Afterward, we’ll all study ways to kill me while we enjoy a little barbecue together.”

“He’s a persistent one, that octopus,” sighed Karma. “Once he takes over, he’ll go to the depths of hell to teach you.”

“Niryufufufu! Of course!” nodded their teacher. “Put a student in front of me, and my instinct is to want to teach him or her.”

“He’ll even tie you to a chair if he deems it necessary,” snorted Ame.

“Talking from experience?” mused Karma.

“What can I say? We’re both stubborn—watch out!”

She grabbed Karma and Kayano, the two closest to her, and forced them to drop to the ground as gunshots followed. It wasn’t ordinary bullets that were fired, though, but a special kind that released a weird, white powder that made their eyes and their throats burn.

“Is this… anti-me powder!?” gasped Korosensei as his weird skin started melting.

“Setting Itona adrift was all part of the plan, Korosensei.” All eyes snapped to a distinct figure that appeared through the smoke. “Get him.”

At Shiro’s order (because _of course_ Shiro was still at it, why wouldn’t he be?), the men behind him started firing again, this time anti-BB bullets. Their teacher instantly started evading them, though it proved to be a hard task since the powder slowed his movements down.

“Come now, Itona—your final duty!”

Another man fired a net, easily catching the weakened boy. Although he struggled, it wasn’t of much use since the net was made of fibers that hurt his tentacles. Korosensei couldn’t do anything, still evading the bullets. By the time they stopped firing, the truck in which had been placed Itona was already driving away at high speed.

“You’ll come after him, won’t you?” Shiro’s taunts echoed in the night. “Being his teacher and all.”

They dropped some more powder-bombs to make sure he couldn’t follow after them immediately, before vanishing completely from sight. The students were still coughing harshly, barely able to see anything.

“Is- is everyone alright?” asked their teacher, though himself wasn’t exactly in top shape.

“I- I think so,” answered Kayano.

“Then I’ll go rescue Itona-kun!”

Before they could stop him, he took off on his own.

“Protecting us reduced his evasion response time,” pointed out Karma.

“Damn that Shiro! He made us his pawns, all right!” cursed Terasaka.

“Wait!” Fuwa coughed some more, looking around. “Where’s Ame?”

“Eh!?”

Through all the confusion, they hadn’t even noticed she had disappeared.

“Could Shiro-san have taken her too?” frowned Nagisa, worried.

“Don’t worry, everyone!” exclaimed Ritsu, gaining their attention. Nagisa pulled out his phone so everyone could see her. “Ame-san is perfectly fine! She snuck in the truck while they captured Itona-kun and activated a tracker so you could follow them! She also said it was surely a trap for Korosensei and so she’d try to get some intel while everyone gathered!”

“While everyone gathered…?” echoed Kayano, confused.

“She wants the whole class to help out,” realized Karma, grinning a little. “Since it’s a trap for Korosensei, they won’t expect exterior help. If we do this right, we should be able to help. Ritsu, I’m guessing you already contacted everyone and sent the location?”

“Aa!” confirmed the program with a beam. “They’re already on their way!”

“Then what are we waiting for?” retorted Terasaka. “Let’s go!”

* * *

Ame hadn’t really thought things through, to be honest. When she saw them grab Itona, she instantly guessed they were luring Korosensei right into a trap. And, well, she couldn’t really let that happen, could she? He was _their_ target, after all. So, throughout the powder and the confusion, she had snuck under the truck and had grabbed the pipes and other machinery she could find, hoping it wouldn’t break under her weight. She _had_ thought of sabotaging the car, but she’d rather not risk getting involved in a car crash.

They stopped around fifteen minutes later. She couldn’t see where they were, but she could tell there was at least twenty or so henchmen, plus Shiro. Itona, still caught in the net, was unceremoniously thrown on the ground. Not a second later, Korosensei appeared before him.

“Itona-kun!”

Instantly, purple light filled the clearing. Ame clicked her tongue in annoyance when realizing those were pressure rays, meant to slow down their teacher.

“Not that I’m surprised, but you truly are a fool, Korosensei,” mused Shiro, stepping out of his hiding place.

“Ritsu,” murmured Ame. “Tell everyone they’ll need to get rid of the pressure rays all at once if we want to have a chance.”

“Right away!” replied her classmate.

“I’m after Itona,” added the man.

As if on cue, numerous snipers hidden in the trees started firing at the boy. Korosensei instantly started blocking all of them as fast as he could manage, and Ame gritted her teeth.

“That’s right,” chuckled darkly Shiro. “You grow weak when the target is anyone but you. Now, will you run away, Korosensei?”

“I am… his teacher!” refused the octopus.

“Ame-san, everyone is in position!” suddenly informed Ritsu.

“Then let’s go!”

Without hesitation, Ame rolled out from under the truck and, not wasting any time, she threw two of her knives directly at Shiro. One of them embedded itself in his arm, the other in his thigh, and a deep red instantly started staining his white clothes.

“Argh!” he stumbled back, taken by surprised. “What—“

“Ah ah!”

Karma’s victorious laugh echoed through the battlefield as he roughly kicked one of the snipers from his tree. Maehara followed suit, making a second sniper fall. Mimura, Sugino, Takebayashi, and Kimura caught the two thanks to a spread out sheet they were holding. Terasaka handled a third one, who was caught by Yoshida and Muramatsu.

“You little pests…” growled Shiro, pulling out the knives. Some more blood started pouring out. “Always getting in my way, aren’t you?”

Ame took her stance, four other knives already in hand. “Korosensei is _our_ target. We won’t let anyone else kill him, even less you.”

Okano pushed down the fourth sniper while Hayami, Chiba, and Okajima took care of those on the ground. Nagisa, Fuwa, and Kayano soon joined them.

“Terasaka-kun, mind turning off the lights?” asked Isogai.

“Sure thing!” replied the boy.

“Guys, take that net off of Itona!” ordered Ame, not taking her eyes off Shiro. “It’s probably hurting like a bitch.”

“Right on it!” assured Rio, running up to the trapped boy.

“I won’t let you—argh!”

Shiro was cut off as a third knife hit him right in the shoulder. While her classmates weren’t fond of actually hurting people (just seeing how they caught those snipers earlier to prevent them from being hurt was enough to prove it), she wasn’t above it. Shiro had been a thorn in their side for a while, now, and she held no doubt he'd continue to be if they didn’t stop him now.

“Step down, Shiro-san,” then ordered seriously Korosensei. “We’ll take Itona-kun. You always plan so carefully, but once my students get involved, those plans are ruined. The sooner you notice the obvious, the better.”

“A class consisting of a monster swarmed by tiny flies?” replied somberly Shiro. “How infinitely irritating. But, I _will_ allow that my plan needs some radical revisions. Keep the boy. He’ll only live another two, three days as it is. Play nice together, now.”

“Why you little—“

“Now, now, Ame,” chuckled Karma, holding her back from throwing a handful of knives. She struggled against his hold, but he was used to it by now. “He gave up, didn’t he?”

“That bastard, toying with people’s lives as if they were just stupid pawns…” she growled, more than tempted to turn the guy into a bloody porcupine. “Oi, Shiro! Ya better not let that personal grudge of yours hurt more people, else I’ll be da one coming after yer head, ya hear me!? Yer experiments are all fucking failures, so stop being a sore loser and fuck off already!”

The man visibly stiffened at that, his step faltering. He shot her a look and she glared right back, ready to tear off that stupid mask of his if he dared make a step in their direction. After a tense moment, though, he shook his head and left.

As soon as he vanished from sight, she exhaled, relaxing. Once certain she wouldn’t run off after the guy to finish him off, Karma released her. She offered him a sheepish smile at that, and he simply rolled his eyes.

“Better watch that temper, Ame,” he teased. “I won’t always be around to stop you from turning people into pincushions.”

“Oh please, as if he didn’t deserve it,” she huffed, putting away her blades. She then blinked in realization. “Hey, the jerk kept one of my knives!”

“I’m pretty sure he would have bled out even more if he had pulled it out like the other two, Ame,” pointed out Rio.

“Ugh…”

The pained moan gained the attention of the students. All of them gathered around Itona, who was still lying on the ground, only half-conscious and obviously in pain.

“Isn’t there anything we can do to help?” wondered Fuwa, worried.

“As long as Itona has a pathological attachment to power and winning, his tentacle cells will stick so tight that we can’t remove them,” explained Korosensei.

“Can’t we cut them off somehow?” suggested Kataoka.

“Not until we get rid of his attachment,” sighed their teacher. “That’s why we have to know more about how he got this way.”

Rio cringed at that. “Yeah, but…”

“I doubt he’ll be forthcoming about his life story,” pointed out Maehara.

“Actually, about that…” All eyes turned to Fuwa. “I was curious: why was Itona going after cell phone shops? So I had Ritsu look up some stuff about him, and it turns out the president of this private company had a son named Horibe Itona. The little factory supplied smartphone parts around the world but, two years ago, it went under, burdened with debt. The president and his wife vanished, leaving their son behind.”

…

…

…

“Tche, is that all?” Everyone snapped their attention to Terasaka, who was scowling. “That made him into a delinquent? Everybody’s worried about somethin’. Big problems, little ones…” He walked up to Itona and, without much ceremony, picked him up like a bag of rice. “We’ll take him in, look after him. If he dies, well, that’s that.”

* * *

The class followed Terasaka, Muramatsu, Yoshida, and Hazama as they dragged the poor boy around for the rest of the night. They had managed to refashion the net into a bandana so his tentacles wouldn’t accidentally pop out, before bringing him to eat some ramen at Muramatsu’s place. It didn’t seem to change anything, though, so they headed to Yoshida’s afterward. As they played around with a motorcycle, Rio shook her head.

“They’re just flying by the seat of their pants,” she remarked.

“I mean, they’re basically idiots,” pointed out Karma, obviously amused. “What did you expect?”

“But- but at least Hazama-san’s got some brains, right?” pointed out Okuda.

“Harsh, Okuda, harsh,” sweatdropped Ame.

The purple-haired girl chuckled nervously in answer, rubbing the back of her head. They then returned to watching the group. Hazama had handed him a book, though it was probably something dark and creepy if Terasaka’s complaints were anything to go by.

Without warning, though, Itona’s tentacles suddenly managed to bypass the bandana as the boy flipped out once again. The four students instantly started running in hopes of putting some safe distance between them and the violent boy.

“I’m not like you, fine with any old way,” he growled, his fists clenched tightly. “I’ll do it now! I’ll kill him, and victory will be mine!”

At that, Terasaka instantly stopped running. Obviously ticked off, he instead started walking back toward Itona, until he was properly facing him.

“Oi, Itona!” he called. “I thought about killing that octopus today, too. But you can’t do it—not right away. Get rid of that impossible vision of yours. It’s easier that way.”

“Shut up!”

One of Itona’s tentacles lashed out at him but, at the last second, Terasaka managed to catch it.

“That’s- that’s the second time… and you’re weaker now…” grunted the rough boy, some bands of sweat rolling down his face. “Easier to grab. Still hurts enough to wanna barf, though. And _that_ just reminds me of Muramatsu’s ramen.”

“Hey!”

“That octopus told him to study business. Gross ramen is fine for now. One day, when he takes over, his new flavors and management skills will get that joint jumpin’,” pursued Terasaka. “He told Yoshida the same thing—it could come in handy _someday._ Come on, Itona!” Without warning, Terasaka harshly hit him over the head. “Don’t let a couple of losses throw you off course! All you gotta do is win _someday._ And when it comes to killin’ that octopus… it doesn’t have to be now. We can fail a hundred times over. Just kill him _once_ before March… and we _win_. You can use the prize money to buy back your dad’s factory, and then your folks could come back.”

“I can’t stand this,” replied Itona, though his protest seemed weaker. “What do I do until I come up with my next vision of victory?”

“Uh? You act like an idiot, like we did today!” replied Terasaka without missing a beat. “That’s what we’re here for!”

Ame whistled lowly at that. Terasaka was the last person she expected to be able to get through Itona but, then again, he was a moron. Morons could do anything if they put their mind to it, if only out of sheer, stupid stubbornness.

“What other idiot could say that with a straight face?” mused Karma. “Although… sometimes, a word from an idiot is all you need to chill things out.”

“So I was being… hasty…?” murmured Itona, his tentacles dropping to the ground as all will to fight left him.

“Yeah,” confirmed roughly Terasaka. “I think you were.”

“That tint of attachment is gone from your eyes, Itona-kun,” then remarked Korosensei, appearing next to him. “We can remove those painful tentacle cells now. In losing one great power, you gain many friends. You’ll come kill me, won’t you? Starting tomorrow?”

“… suit yourself.” Itona offered him a defeated smile. “I’m sick of this power—and this whole ‘brothers’ thing, too.”

Korosensei laughed at that and instantly got to work with many, many nail clips. In less than thirty seconds, he had pulled out all of the cells. The rotting tentacles fell to the ground, completely detached, before turning to dirt. Itona rubbed the back of his neck, somewhat startled. He had grown so used to the pain, he had forgotten how it felt like _not_ to feel it constantly.

“Well, that’s all for tonight!” announced Korosensei. “Everyone should go home. After all, you all have class tomorrow!”

A chorus of agreement followed. No matter the excitement of the night, the world wouldn’t stop turning and school was still in function. As everyone bid their goodnights, though, an idea popped in Ame’s head. Wasting no time, she quickly joined Itona and Korosensei.

“Itona-kun?” The boy glanced at her, obviously still a little in shock at what had just happened. “I’m Ame, one of your new classmates. I was just wondering… do you have any place to stay?”

He frowned at that. “I used to live in the lab, but now…”

She grinned at that, grabbing his hand. “Then come on! You can stay at my place”

“… uh?”

“What a wonderful idea, Naoki-san!” nodded Korosensei. “That way you can come to school together tomorrow. I’ll drop off some uniforms at your house. See you tomorrow!”

And he was gone in a flash. Itona blinked a few times, making Ame laugh.

“You’ll get used to it,” she assured.

“… why are you doing this?” the boy asked, frowning slightly. “You’re the girl Shiro tried to kill, aren’t you? And I helped him…”

“Maa, maa, who _hasn’t_ tried to kill me?” she joked, dragging him along. “It’s all water under the bridge, don’t worry. Though, I can’t really lie and say I don’t have an ulterior motive… But no matter! For now, let’s just go home. You can spend the night, and we’ll take more in the morning about your situation. How about that?”

“… It sounds manageable,” he finally agreed.

“Great! So, while we’re heading there, why don’t you tell me more about Shiro and that Organization, hm?”

* * *

When they arrived at her house, she had yet to learn much about Shiro and his organization, unfortunately. She had tried to gain more information from Itona but, after seeing the daze he was still in, she dropped it. She’d pry some more later but, for now, she’d leave the poor guy alone. He too had had a rough night, after all.

“This is where you live?” he mused as they approached. “I expected something more… you.”

“Yeah, you’re not the first I let down with my mundane home,” she snorted, opening the door. “Come on in—and take off your shoes, too. Obaa-san hates it when there’s dirt on the floor.”

“Obaa-san…?”

“Ame-chan!” The old woman suddenly appeared, relief etched over her features. “I was so worried! I thought you were supposed to come back early!”

“Uh? Oh, there were some… complications.” Offering a small smile, she then dragged Itona before her. “Itona, this is my grandmother. Obaa-san, this is Itona, a classmate. He had some trouble at home and I was wondering if he could stay with us for the next few days?”

“Well, I don’t mind, but I’m afraid we only have the couch,” frowned the old woman.

“Ah, don’t worry about sleeping arrangements,” replied the girl, urging Itona toward the stairs. “I’ll set something up in my room. We’re pretty tired, so I’ll explain everything tomorrow, ‘kay?”

“I can wait until then,” nodded the woman, smiling softly at the boy. “It’s very nice to meet you, Itona-kun. I’ll see you both in the morning.”

“Right. ‘Night, Obaa-san!”

“Goodnight!”

Not wasting any more time, Ame dragged a stunned Itona upstairs. Once they reached her room, she closed the door, before exhaling in relief.

“I’ll have to think of a good excuse, but that can wait ‘til tomorrow…” she murmured, before glancing at the boy. “Sorry for dragging you around like that. I just didn’t want her to ask too many questions.”

“Does your grandmother not know of the assassination?” he wondered, curious.

“Aah? No way!” scoffed the girl. “She’d have a heart attack if she knew. But! We’ll think of a backstory tomorrow. For now, I think we really should call it a night.”

“I just have one more question.”

“Shoot.”

“Why did you really bring me here?” he asked, serious.

She considered him for a moment, before sighing. “Shiro’s been after my head ever since that incident at school. I was hoping you could tell me more about him so I could be better prepared if he comes after me again. However, you don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to. I understand it probably wasn’t such a fun experience for you either.”

“… I don’t mind telling you what I know. I—“ He was cut off by a yawn, which made her laugh.

“Let’s do that later. Can’t have you falling asleep in class on your first day, can we?” she teased.

That earned her a small, very small smile, but it was genuine and it somewhat made her happy.

Having Itona around would be fun, she could already tell.

* * *

.

.

The next morning, as promised, they found a school uniform for the boy on Ame’s desk, along with a school bag in which was everything he needed for school. She grimaced a little when realizing the damn octopus had easily gotten in her room without activating the security system, so she’d have to work on that later. Anyhow, she went to change in the bathroom, leaving some privacy to her new roommate. As she came out, though, she suddenly heard an angry shout.

“WHO ARE YOU!?”

 _Oh crap,_ she paled.

She quickly ran back to her room, only to find Kiba gaping in horror at Itona. Behind him were… well, pretty much all of the kids, saved for Leo, of course.

“Kiba, calm down!” she ordered, making her way through them to go stand by her friend. “Guys, this is Itona, a classmate _and_ friend. He’s going to live with us for a while, so be nice, okay? And Itona, those are my siblings: Kiba’s the short-tempered one, Rin’s the calm one, Jackie’s the shy one, Amaya’s the one hiding behind Kiba, and Ash’s the one staring at you with stars in her eyes.”

“… hello. Those are your siblings?” He looked them over, before glancing at her. “You look nothing alike.”

His tone was blunt, but she could tell it wasn’t meant offensively. He was just stating the truth.

“We’re a foster family,” she resumed with a shrug. “Anyway, all of you brats go downstairs now if you don’t wanna miss breakfast! Shoo, shoo!”

“You better have a good explanation, Ame-nee!” warned Kiba.

“As if I had to explain myself to you!” she retorted.

He pulled his tongue at her, and she replied in kind. The children then did as told, loudly making their way to the kitchen downstairs. Once they were gone, she exhaled in relief.

“That went better than I expected…” She then looked at Itona, a tad sheepish. “Sorry if they startled you. I only recently started bringing friends over, so they’re still not used to it.”

“… friends?” He tilted his head. “You consider us friends?”

“Well, yeah. We’re classmates, aren’t we?” she pointed out with a smile. “Anyway, let’s go before they eat everything.”

He simply nodded, still not all that talkative. She couldn’t really blame him, though. Just yesterday, he was still living in a lab, being controlled by that bastard like some mindless pawn. It’d take a while for him to readjust to a normal life, but she had an inkling he’d be just fine.

“Oh, good morning, Itona-kun, Ame-chan!” greeted her grandmother with a small. “Come, come! I’ve made pancakes!”

“Awesome! Come on, Itona!”

She gestured for him to sit next to her on the chair that had been added, before taking her own seat. There was a lot of food on the table, and she couldn’t help but wonder if her grandmother had gone all out just to show off a little. After all, she had always loved showing off her cooking skills, and what better occasion to do that than a newcomer?

After some hesitation, Itona started eating. His eyes instantly widened.

“… it’s delicious.”

“Aw, I’m glad to hear it!” beamed warmly the old woman. “Here, have some more!”

“Ah? No fair! I want more too!” exclaimed Kiba.

“Me too, me too!” added Ash.

“You guys haven’t even finished your plates!” protested Ame.

The two kids exchanged a look. Then, in a single movement, they shoved whatever was left in their plates into their mouths. It took them a few seconds, but they finally managed to swallow, and instantly lifted their now empty plates.

“Seconds!” they exclaimed together.

“Ah, such energy this morning!” chuckled their caretaker, too used to their antics by now.

“Cheeky little brats,” murmured fondly Ame.

Itona didn’t say anything else that morning, simply enjoying the food as he observed everyone interacting. 

* * *

“… your family is nice.”

“I know,” chuckled Ame. “Though they sure can be a handful sometimes… Anyway, if you’re comfortable with us, then I don’t mind sharing my room. There’s more than enough place for two. And, well, I know my grandmother will be happy to take you in.” He frowned at that, and she shook her head. “Take your time to think it over. Until you reach your decision, you can stay with us, of course.”

“I will.” He then bit his lower lip. “… thank you.”

“No problem! Anyway, our driver should be here any second—oh! There she is! Hana!”

The girl waved as a car approached. She gestured for Itona to follow her and, soon enough, they were both seated in the back of said care.

“So, who’s your new friend, Ame?” asked the woman, apparently named Hana.

“New classmate,” answered cheerfully the girl. “His name is Itona. Itona, this is a friend of mine, Hana. She usually drives me to school, but sometimes it’ll be someone else.”

“Why?” he wondered. “Because of the assassination attempts on your person?”

“Aa. Staying out in the open is dangerous, and I’m only really safe when on the campus,” she admitted, rubbing the back of her head. “But hey! I get free rides out of it, so that’s cool!”

The red-haired woman scoffed at that. “Only _you_ could make having a bounty on your head look so fun, seriously.”

“Well, what can I say? It’s part of my natural charms,” deadpanned the girl.

Hana snorted at that, and Itona stayed silent, observing once again.

* * *

“You seem to have many friends, Ame,” remarked Itona as they climbed up the mountain.

She didn’t mind the lack of honorific, so she didn’t bother pointing it out. “I guess so. To be honest, though… At the beginning of the year, I only had one friend in this class. It’s only after Korosensei showed up that I started opening up to everyone.”

“Why is that?” he wondered.

She offered a small, somewhat bitter smile at that. “Because it’s hard to trust people. But! I’ve learned my lesson, and I’m doing better now. I mean, look at me! I’ve got loads of friends whom I know will always have my back, and… well, I trust them with my life. It wasn’t easy to get there, of course, but I’m glad I didn’t give up on them, just like they didn’t give up on me.” Her smile then widened, becoming a tad brighter. “And we won’t give up on you either, Itona. You’re one of us, now. There’s no way out of it!”

“If you say so…”

He didn’t seem all that convinced, but she could work with that. She knew that, after a while, he’d warm up to her and everyone else. It was only a question of time.

“Oh, you made it!” greeted Maehara as they reached the building. “No more busting through the wall, okay?”

Itona nodded mutely, which made Ame snickered slightly. They then headed for the classroom.

“Morning!” beamed Kurahashi. “That bandana’s a good look on you!”

“Thank you…?”

“Good morning, Itona-kun,” greeted their teacher, appearing next to him. “And how are you feeling?”

“Awful, now that I’ve lost my power,” admitted bluntly the bow. “But… I don’t feel any weaker. In the end, I _will_ kill you, Korosensei.”

“That’s the spirit,” chuckled Ame. She then nudged him toward Terasaka and his group. “Now why don’t you go hang out with your new friends?”

He didn’t say anything, but he did make his way to them. She had a feeling he’d get along with them, what with being fellow troublemakers and all that.

 _I guess that’s one less problem we have to worry about,_ she mused, going to take her seat. _Wonder how’s the wind going to turn now that he’s here, though._


	24. Twenty-Fourth Period: Growing Family Time

“Itona, did you… recalibrate my entire security system?”

“It was too easy to break into it, so I remade it entirely.”

“That’s… kind of cool, actually. Though, don’t tell the kids about that, okay?”

“There’s a lot of things you don’t tell your family, isn’t there?”

“Yeah, well, I’d like to see _you_ tell them I’m the enemy of the government with a seven billion bounty on my head who was _also_ tasked to kill her teacher before the end of the school year.”

“… fair enough.”

“That’s what I thought.”

* * *

It had been a week since Itona joined their classroom at last. There had been no other signs of Shiro, though Ame couldn’t say if it was a good thing or a bad thing, and the boy had started to adjust to his new life. He was still a tad detached, but everyone was giving him time. He had also agreed to live with Ame and her family since he was broke and had nowhere else to go. Her grandmother had been overjoyed and the children were quick to warm up to the newcomer, the younger ones already calling him “Ito-nii” (his face when Jackie first called him that was _priceless)._ All in all, it had been an eventful week, but they had somehow pulled through.

“All right, class. I’ll see you tomorrow,” announced Korosensei. “I finally got paid, so I’m heading out for some Shanghai crab! _Yi, er, san_ , go!”

And as per usual, he left the class behind to go enjoy himself. Ame rolled her eyes at the familiar display. Couldn’t he use the door like a normal person instead of going through the window?

_… okay, I’m really not one to talk. Nevermind._

“Ugh, now that it’s the second term, our work’s getting a lot harder,” sighed Maehara, leaning on his desk. 

“Korosensei’s really trying to get our grades up,” replied Nagisa.

“That’s nice and all, but I haven’t picked up any girls in ages,” groaned the flirt.

“Have you actually _ever_ picked up a girl before?” snorted Ame, swinging her bag over her shoulder. 

“Aa? I’ll let you know that I’m quite popular with the ladies!” he assured, instantly regaining some energy. 

“Of course. Then why don’t you ask out one of the girls in the class?” she dared. “I mean, there’s a lot of us around. Why not Kurahashi? Or Kanzaki?”

“Sorry, I’m not interested!” informed cheerfully Kurahashi as she passed by.

“Ah, well, me neither,” admitted Kanzaki with an apologetic smile.

“You don’t have to put it so bluntly,” sweatdropped Maehara.

Ame simply snickered a little, before heading out. Before she could leave the class, though, she turned to her roommate.

“Hey, Itona!” she called, making him look up. “I have a training session with the girls, so you don’t have to wait for me to go back home.”

“I’ll wait,” he simply replied, reporting his attention on whatever he was working on. “I don’t mind.”

“Suit yourself,” she simply shrugged.

On which she left the classroom with Rio and Fuwa. Having training sessions with the girls had gotten a little harder since they had a lot more work because of the second term, but they still somehow managed, and they always had a good time.

_Sure, it’s not the same as shopping with friends or going out to see a movie, but it’s still fun!_

So, happy to spend some time with her friends, she quickly went to get changed, chatting about some new moves she wanted to try out with the other two on the whole way.

* * *

“So, you’re sticking around, Itona?” remarked Nagisa, coming to stand next to the boy. “What are you working on?”

“Just what it looks like: an RC tank,” replied blankly the boy, not even looking up from his project.

“Why?”

“I had an all-day cram session with that octopus yesterday,” shrugged Itona. “It stressed me out. He really ticked me off… so I’ll use this to kill him.”

“Still, I’m surprised,” mused Maehara. “All of this tech… You made it yourself?”

“Ame provided me with some of the material, but I’ve learned basic electronics at my old man’s shop,” explained the boy.

“That’s right, you live with her now, don’t you?” recalled Yoshida. “How’s that going?”

“There isn’t any problem, if that’s what you’re asking. Ame is very accommodating, the children aren’t too annoying, and their caretaker makes good food,” he resumed. “And since neither I or Ame sleep much, she helps me catch up with schoolwork when she’s not at her job.”

“Wait!” All eyes turned to Okajima. “Isn’t this, like, the perfect opportunity?”

“For what, Okajima-kun?” wondered Nagisa.

“To learn about Ame’s secret job, of course!” replied the boy, pumping his fist in the air. “Always so mysterious and secretive… This could be our chance to finally get some answers!”

“Okajima-kun, Ame-san’s been opening up to us little by little,” however replied Isogai, frowning a little. “She’ll tell us about it when she’s ready to do so. We shouldn’t use Itona-kun to pry into her personal life.”

The other boy deflated at that. “Well, when you put it that way…”

“It’s not like I could tell you guys much anyway,” shrugged Itona, flipping over the tank to make some last measurements. “She came home late twice and always has many weapons on her person. I almost cut myself with the katana hidden under her pillow.”

 _That’s where she puts it!?_ Sweatdropped internally the rest of the students.

“Other than that, she didn’t tell me anything,” concluded the white-haired boy. “And I didn’t ask.”

“… Well, one way or another, this tank of yours could be a good idea for an assassination,” then pointed out Isogai, bringing everyone back on subject. “Why don’t we focus on that?”

The rest of the boys, who had gathered around in the meantime, all nodded in agreement.

* * *

“They’re growing rather curious. Why haven’t you told them yet?” asked Itona, not looking up from the manga he was reading.

Ame sighed at Itona’s question. “It’s not like I don’t _want_ to tell them… But it’s complicated. Plus, I’m not the only one involved, you know that. It’s not _my_ secret to tell.”

“But you told me,” he pointed out.

She scowled a little at that. “That’s because you read my messages while I was in the shower. Not telling you anything would have been more dangerous.”

He nodded in understanding. “So you’re not planning on telling them?”

“No,” she replied, her tone unwavering. “Not if I can help it, at least. And you? Did you tell them yet?”

“About what?”

“About Korosensei’s weakness.”

Because, much to Ame’s surprise and glee, Itona had kept his word and had answered all of her questions to the best of his abilities. Somehow, the conversation led to Korosensei and his weaknesses, and it’s then that she learned about it: Korosensei’s greatest weakness.

“I told them about his heart, yes,” he confirmed. “Did you tell the girls?”

“During our training session. Anyway, you said you were heading early to school tomorrow, right? What for?”

“The other guys suggested we use my tank for an assassination attempt,” he answered, putting down his manga. “Sugaya has it right now to paint it. We’re running some tests early in the morning.”

“Cool. Can I come with?”

“If you want to.”

* * *

When they got to school the next day, it was around 6:30 in the morning. Ame stifled a yawn as they walked inside. Though, if that assassination attempt was enough motivation for the boys to wake up so early, then that probably meant it was a good plan. She didn’t get why none of the girls had been made aware of it, though. 

As soon as they entered the classroom, though, tension instantly filled the air.

“W- w- w- w- w- why did you bring her!?” exclaimed Okajima, mortified.

“Damn it!”

“Ugh, there goes our plan…”

“Guys, it’s an assassination attempt, remember?” sighed Isogai.

“She asked if she could come. I didn’t see why not,” simply replied Itona.

“Is me being here a problem?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Okajima slumped in defeat, tears streaming down his face. “N- no ma’am…”

Ame raised an eyebrow at that, unconvinced. “You were hoping to use Itona’s tank to look under the girls’ skirts, weren’t you?”

“What?” Maehara let out a nervous chuckle. “No way!”

“Right… Well, I won’t bother you guys then,” she replied, going to sit at her desk. She settled down, closing her eyes once she was comfortable. “I’m going to take a nap. Wake me up if the building’s on fire or something.”

“You’re… not going to stop us?” blinked Yoshida, surprised.

She let out a snort at that. “As if it’d work anyway.”

The rest of the boys seemed rather offended at that, and they instantly started muttering between themselves. Shaking her head, Ame simply let herself drift to sleep. Had she known it was all a plot for those perverts to get their fill, she’d have stayed at home a little longer.

* * *

Ame groaned when something hard hit her head. Opening her eyes, she found Karma and Itona standing two desks ahead of her.

“Oh, you were right,” mused the white-haired boy. He was holding an eraser in his hand. “Throwing stuff at her is the safest way to wake her up without getting maimed.”

“Told ya so,” smirked Karma.

“Ugh, is the building on fire?” she grunted, straightening up. “If not, then I’m going back to sleep.”

“Itona and I are skipping,” replied the red-haired boy. “You in?”

“… fine, but I’m using you as a pillow.”

“Deal.”

Knowing they wouldn’t be able to leave once Korosensei showed up, Ame quickly grabbed her bag before joining the boys. She waved to Rio on her way out, and the blonde simply rolled her eyes. She had skipped class once or twice with Ame before, but she wasn’t as carefree with that kind of stuff, so she rarely did so.

“Think you’ll be back for the day?”

“Dunno,” shrugged Ame. “Mind sharing your notes?”

“Mm. You owe me one, though.”

“Of course.”

Behind them, the boys were under heavy fire: the girls had apparently figured out their perverted plot and were now nagging the hell out of them. Chuckling at the sight, she waved goodbye to her friend before following the other two outside. It had been a while since she last skipped class, and she could only hope she’d be able to enjoy it before something went wrong again.

* * *

When Ame woke up again… she was back in the classroom. Utterly confused, she looked around, wondering if she was dreaming.

“Oh, Ame! You’re finally awake!” greeted Rio with a grin. “Guess I won’t have to share my notes with you after all, uh?”

“… what happened?”

“Korosensei showed up after you fell asleep and dragged us back to the classroom,” answered Karma with a resigned smile. “Itona convinced him not to wake you up after telling him you didn’t sleep last night.”

“I see…”

“What? ‘Justice’!? I totally thought it was ‘Masayoshi!’”

At Kurahashi’s exclamation, Ame reported her attention on the little group that had gathered around Kimura’s desk. It was now lunchtime, if everyone mingling together was anything to go by, but she was more now interested in the ongoing conversation than going back to sleep. 

“Everyone’s generous enough to read it that way, yeah,” sighed Kimura. “And I asked Korosensei to call me that, too.”

“Sure made us nervous, hearing your name at the entrance ceremony,” then pointed out Sugaya. 

“Ugh, I hate the thought of another public execution come graduation,” admitted the boy. “My parents are police officers who were so high on Justice that they named their son after it! And being my parents, they’d just smack me if I complained about it. They didn’t think about how much a kid could get teased in school.”

“That’s parents for you,” then remarked Hazama. “Me, with this face—I’m Kirara. Kirara! Do I _look_ like a Kirara to you?”

“N- no…”

“My mom lives in her own little fantasy world, but if something happens that she doesn’t like, she goes into screaming hysterics,” pursued the scary girl. “That’s the kind of stress-filled house I grew up in. No way was I going to grow into my adorable little name.”

“You’ve sure got it rough, saddled with such weird names,” mused Karma, going to join them.

“Ah! You’re one to talk,” snorted Ame.

“Me?” The boy quickly wrote his name on the board. “I rather like my name. Guess some kids inherit their folks’ strange tastes. Though, what about you, Ame?”

“Me?” She thought it over for a moment. “Well, ‘Naoki’ is for ‘honest’ and my name’s written with the character for ‘rain’… My grandmother told me its because my parents met on a rainy day or something like that. I never really thought over its significance, though.”

“Eh? That’s so romantic!” gushed Kurahashi.

“More or less meaning ‘honest as rain’, uh…?” Karma grinned a little. “Don’t know if the shoe fits, though.”

“Whatever.”

“I’m not satisfied with how I was named, either!”

All of the students jumped a little, startled by the sudden appearance of their teacher. At that point, though, they were all too used to him popping out of nowhere to really make a fuss about it.

“Uh? I thought you liked ‘Korosensei’,” pointed out Sugino. “Kayano named you that.”

“I _do_ like it,” assured the octopus. “That’s why I’m not satisfied. There are still two people who won’t call me by that name. Karasuma-sensei just says ‘ _Hey’_ or ‘ _You_ _there_!’, you know? We’re not some middle-aged married couple!”

“But it’s embarrassing for a full-grown adult to be like, ‘ _Korosensei_!’, isn’t it?” pointed out Kayano.

“Oh, I know!” then exclaimed Yada. “Why don’t we call each other by code names instead?”

“Code names?” echoed Isogai.

“Yeah—we make new names for everyone,” she explained. “Like those assassins we met on the island: they called each other by code names to hide their real ones. Don’t you think it’s kinda cool and assassin-y?”

“I see. Good idea!” praised Korosensei. “Then, here’s what we’re going to do: write down your suggestions. We’ll call each other by the names I pull out of this box!”

“What box—“ A green box suddenly appeared on the teacher’s desk, making Ame sweatdrop. “Nevermind.”

“Sounds fun, but do we have to think up names for everyone?” wondered Okano.

“I’ll just write down whatever comes to mind,” replied Muramatsu, already getting started.

Since everyone seemed to agree with the idea, all the students returned to their places and pulled out some papers to write down their suggestions. Ame was half-tempted to use her actual code name, if only to mess with her friends without them realizing it, but decided against it. After all, both Ritsu and Itona knew of it and its significance, and she’d only be leaving more clues to Karasuma and Irina. They were already suspicious enough as it was, so she’d rather not.

“All right… using real names is forbidden all day today!” announced Korosensei. 

“… WHAT!?”

The teacher simply laughed at his students’ flabbergasted faces. 

* * *

**“Baseball Geek, Baseball Geek! Any movement from the target?”**

**“Nothing yet, Lanky Artist! Da Densest is hiding in wait near a lone pine. Team President Poverty will come from behind, chase him into the swamp, and then Bipolar Sniper will fire on him.”**

_Baseball Geek AKA Sugino._

_Lanky Artist AKA Sugaya._

_Da Densest AKA Karasuma-sensei._

_President Poverty AKA Isogai._

_Bipolar Sniper AKA Hayami._

Their mission was simple: find the target and take it down. What _wasn’t_ as simple was not only using everyone’s code names but also getting a hold of said target.

**“Shape up, you two! How can you let your target leave the scene!? Especially you, Womanizing Scumbag! Always hold your gun at firing height!”**

_Womanizing Scumbag AKA Maehara._

_So Karasuma-sensei managed to give them the slip, uh?_ Ame was listening intently to the radio, trying to figure out their target’s location by using her friends’. _The code names have everyone confused—they’re delaying our reaction time._

 **“Director Mushroom! Mistress Kanzaki! Fluffy Stag Beatle! He’s headed your way!”** warned the class president. 

_Director Mushroom AKA Mimura._

_Mistress Kanzaki AKA Kanzaki._

_Fluffy Stag Beatle AKA Kurahashi._

**“Gah! He went another way!”** exclaimed the orange-haired girl. 

**“Home Plate! Loofah! Picture-Book Graduate!”**

**“Right!”**

_Home Plate AKA Yoshida._

_Loofah AKA Muramatsu._

_Picture-Book Graduate AKA Itona._

_Pseudo-Takaoka AKA Terasaka._

**“Did you get him?”** Ame asked.

**“Almost! But he—“**

**“Scoring one hit on me doesn’t mean you’ll ever be able to land one hit on him!”** exclaimed Karasuma. **“Poison Specs! Forever Flat! If I can see where you’re firing from, I can dodge your shots!”**

_Poison Specs AKA Okuda._

_Forever Flat AKA Kayano._

**“He- he saw us! Take over, Dignified Didact!”**

**“Okay! Come on, Evil Matchmaker and Gender!”**

**“Roger!”**

_Dignified Didact AKA Kataoka._

_Evil Matchmaker AKA Rio._

_Gender AKA Nagisa._

_They’ve started firing. At that point, This-Manga-Is-Amazing! AKA Fuwa and Terminal Perv AKA Okajima are firing at him from behind, and Semi-Senioritis AKA Karma is blocking his escape route. Dating-Sim-Emo-Character AKA Chiba is lying in wait…_

**“Fire now!”**

Chiba fired. At the last moment, though, Karasuma used some wood that was lying on the ground to block the shot and instantly spotted the sniper’s location.

“Dating-Sim-Emo-Character!” he exclaimed. “Always assume your target is on guard!”

**“Now, Badass Kunoichi!”**

Grinning, Ame propelled herself at Karasuma. She had been hiding behind some rocks, carefully dissimulated, only awaiting the signal. The man’s eyes widened. He had a feeling the crafty teen would be close around, but he hadn’t thought she’d be _that_ close. Jumping backward to avoid the rubber knives flying his way, he managed to grab her leg as she tried to kick his head. He instantly flipped her over and slammed her into the ground, immobilizing her in an instant.

“If you attack directly, expect to be trapped, Badass Kunoichi!” snapped Karasuma.

She simply grinned. “Who’s the one trapped, Da Densest?”

His eyes widened as none other than Justice AKA Kimura dropped from the tree just behind him. Too busy immobilizing the girl, he failed to escape the shots in time. Ame could only grin as the shots finally hit the target.

_We did it!_

* * *

“Niryufufufu! So how did it feel, spending the day under code names?” wondered Korosensei.

“Kind of painful,” answered all of the students as one.

“Really? I thought it was fun,” grinned Ame.

“That’s ‘cause I gave you a really cool name!” protested Rio. “What was up with mine?”

“You’re evil and you’re a matchmaker,” deadpanned her friend. “I found it suited you well.”

“But- but ‘Scrunchies and Boobs’!” protested Yada.

“Being called ‘Amazing Ape’ over and over…” groaned Okano.

“What does ‘Box o’ Moe’ mean?” wondered Ritsu, confused.

“Probably exactly that,” sweatdropped Hara. “But why did I get ‘Kunugigaoka’s Mom’?”

“Korosensei! Why was I the only one with my real name?” then asked Kimura.

“Because I knew what you’d be doing in physical education training today,” replied the teacher. “I figured, with your mobility, you’d play quite a role. And given the awesome moves you pulled off, the name ‘Justice’ is a perfect fit.”

“Well…”

“Just to reassure you, Kimura-kun, it should be relatively easy to put in for a name change,” then added Korosensei. “Still, Kimura-kun. If you kill me, I bet this is how the world will see your name: ‘Justice Indeed! A perfect name for the hero who saved Earth!’, right? And, to be honest, there’s no great meaning to the grand names our parents give us. What’s meaningful is what we, so named, accomplish in our lives. Names don’t make a person. They’re merely left behind in our footsteps as we walk through life. How about cherishing that name for a while longer? At least… until the assassination’s over with. Okay?”

After a moment, Kimura smiled back. “I think I will.”

“Perfect! No, today’s the day we used code names,” then remarked Korosensei, changing the subject altogether. “Now to tell you mine! Please, call me this from now on: Prince of the Fateful Eternal Wind.”

After a moment of stunned silence… the class rioted. Ame could only laugh as her friends started protesting vehemently against such a fancy name while firing at him. After a lot of yelling, it was decided that, for the rest of the day, their teacher would be called “The Octopus of the Idiotic Perverted Chicken”.

 _… whatever that’s supposed to mean, anyway._

* * *

“Ame, I’m heading out to get some of that nasty ramen,” announced bluntly Itona. “You coming?”

“Nan, go and have some fun,” replied the girl, shaking her head with her smile. “Though give me a call if you spend the night there. Don’t want Obaa-san to have a heart attack, you know?”

“Aa. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye-bye!”

The white-haired boy then left with his new friends.

“Eh, you’re really acting like actual siblings. How cute,” mused Karma.

“We are?” blinked Ame.

“Why’d you decide to take him in, Ame?” then wondered Rio, curious.

“I wanted some information, at first,” admitted the girl. “It was for a rather selfish reason, really. But Itona’s nice, and the kids and my grandmother like him. Frankly, he’ll have a hard time if he tries to leave, now.”

The others laughed a little at that. In the end, Itona was fitting in alright—and in more way than one. 

* * *

_“Naoki Ame. Although he’s probably still waiting to tell you, I believe Saru has been training you to become the next leader of the Zodiac.”_

::

Ame’s eyes flew open as she bolted upright, her heart racing like crazy. Gulping, she took a few seconds to force the ghost sight of blood away, though she could still hear the nightmarish gunshot ringing in her ears. Her mind was a crazy mess at the moment, merging memories she’d rather have forgotten: the blood on her hands, Takaoka’s scratched-up face, Lovro’s ominous prediction…

“Do you often suffer from nightmares?”

The girl snapped her eyes to the voice. There, in the corner, Itona was still very much awake, apparently working on some homework. Just like her, he didn’t sleep all that much—probably an after-effect of having those tentacles messing with his brain for so long.

“I used to,” she admitted with a sigh, running a hand through her hair. “I got used to it and they eventually stopped.”

“But they’ve started again.”

“Aa. What are you working on?”

She was more than obviously trying to change the subject, but Itona didn’t mind. There were things he too would rather not talk about, after all. 

“English,” he answered. “Mind helping me out?”

She offered a small, grateful smile at that. “Of course. I’ll go make some coffee. You want some?”

“Sure.”

The girl then left the room without a sound. He was always impressed by her silent walking but, this time around, her footsteps seemed to have grown heavy.

 _Her lack of sleep is catching up to her,_ he easily understood.

It wasn’t the first time she woke up in the middle of the night because of those nightmares. Adding to that, she went to sleep late and woke up early in the morning. And, of course, there were some nights she didn’t sleep at all because of her job. All in all, he calculated she probably got three to four hours of sleep per night, if not less. She was managing now, taking naps in the middle of the day and whatnot, but he knew she wouldn’t last very long if she kept up that up.

 _But she asked me not to tell anyone,_ he recalled. _And I doubt she’ll be able to regain a normal sleeping schedule without professional help…_

His eyes wandered around the room until they landed on her phone, which was on her nightstand. After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed it. Easily cracking her code, he quickly went through her contacts and taped a message.

**“Ame doesn’t sleep anymore, barely a few hours a night. I suggest you do something about it before things really get out of hand.”**

\- **Itona**

He sent it to the name he was most familiar with, “H”, before putting away the phone. 

Not too long after, he received a reply.

**“Got it. Thanks, kid.”**

\- **H**

Well.

Hopefully, things would get better for the girl from here on out.

* * *

Ame frowned at her phone. She had received an urgent summon early in the morning, meaning she probably wouldn’t show up to class in time, if at all. There wasn’t any info, though, which kind of worried her. Hana was the last person she expected to send such a cryptic message, after all.

_Well, no matter. I’m here, so…_

As soon as she stepped inside, she felt the danger. The air suddenly grew cold and a chill ran down her spine. Stiffening in place, she looked up to find a very angry redhead.

“H- Hana…?”

The woman shoved her phone in the girl’s face. Confused and mildly terrified, the girl quickly read the message displayed on the screen… and understanding dawned on her.

_That asshole—_

“Why didn’t ya tell us!?” snapped the woman. “Ya promised ya’d tell us if it started again!”

“I- I didn’t think it was serious—“

“Not serious!? You’re dead on yer fuckin’ feet!” Ame gulped when realizing her friend really was angry. “And we all know how ya are when ya get like this! Ya sleep, what, two or three hours per night? Is that it?”

“I can manage—“

“Ya _shouldn’t!_ Last time ya pulled a stunt like that one, ya nearly got Samon killed!” Ame stiffened at the harsh, but true, accusation. “Ya want that ta happen again? Uh? Is that what ya want!?”

“N- no! Of course not!” protested the girl. “I- I just…”

Hana roughly poked her forehead. “Ya need ta lean on us a little more, kiddo. Don’t ya trust us?”

“Of course I do! But- but I’m causing so much trouble for you guys already…” Ame lowered her head, somewhat ashamed. “I’m always asking for your help, always causing a mess… I don’t want to be such a burden to you guys! Can’t you understand that!?”

Hana’s eyes widened at that. Then, the anger vanished as her gaze softened. Sighing heavily, she brought the girl into a hug.

“You’re an idiot,” she muttered. “As if we didn’t get in trouble _before_ ya got in...”

Ame let out a strangled laugh at that, hugging her back. She knew she could rely on her second family anytime for any reason, but she didn’t want to abuse either. They were already helping her out so much! She could handle the nightmares just fine—

“WHERE THE HELL IS SHE!?”

Blood instantly drained from her face. She pulled away, horrified. 

“You called him?” she asked, her voice but a whisper.

At that, Hana grinned, somewhat cruelly. “He’s the expert. He’ll fix you up in no time.”

“No, no, he’s going to _skin_ me! He—“

“THERE YOU ARE YOU DAMN BRAT!”

“Crap! Have mercy!”

Before she could flee, a hand latched itself around her collar and harshly dragged her back, before lifting her until her feet no longer touched the floor. She gulped when her eyes met stormy, irate ones.

“Again?” seethed the man. “ _Again!?”_

“I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!” she cried out, struggling to free herself.

“Ah! That’s what you said last time too!” snapped the man. 

The man, known as Yagi, was young and tall, strongly built. Only twenty-seven-year-old, he was already an accomplished doctor, surgeon, and scientist. He was the official doctor of their little group and could patch up any wound. However, as talented as the white-haired man was, he thoroughly lacked bedside manners. He enjoyed literally knocking some sense into his patients and yelling at them for acting recklessly and giving him more job.

He was also the one who handled her case the last time she had an insomnia fit.

“Med room. _Now_ ,” he growled, his golden eyes flashing dangerously.

“R- right…”

He put her back on the floor. Her head hanging low, she made her way to the med room, dragging her feet the whole time. Knowing the drill, she went to lay down on the bed while Yagi closed the door behind him. After what, he started looking through some drawers.

“I’m guessing you remember how it worked last time,” drawled the men, pulling out a syringe. 

“You’re going to stab me repeatedly with a needle for three days until I’ve forcefully regained a normal sleeping schedule,” she grunted, getting comfortable. “Did I get right?”

“This is a fast and effective method to cure your insomnia fit,” he replied, grabbing two bottles of chemicals. “You’ll have to take pills after that but, until then, you’ll have to stay in this room. Two days under, a third to rest. And, needless to say, it’s not going to be fun.”

“Ugh, I know. Just get started already.”

“Tche, don’t tell me how to do my job, stupid brat,” he replied, annoyed. He was carefully filling the syringe with the chemicals he had picked. “I could be cruel and make you go through the normal two-week-long program instead of the three-day one.”

“Whatever. Can you ask Hana to warn the school in the meantime?” she then asked. “My friends will probably be worried sick if I go MIA for three whole days.”

Yagi stopped his preparations at that, somewhat taken aback. He glanced at the teen, though she wasn’t paying any attention to him, still trying to get comfortable on the medical bed.

_So the brat made some friends after all, uh?_

He had been gone for a long while, but could it have been _that_ long? Last time he saw her, she really wouldn’t have cared less about informing the school of her absence, and she only had _one_ friend. He _had_ been briefed about her current situation with the bounty on her head and also the fact that the creature who destroyed the moon was her teacher, but he hadn’t expected her to change so much in the span of a few months.

He shook his head, focusing on the task at hands.

“Do I need to restrain you?”

“It’d be a good idea,” she nodded. 

He quickly tied her wrists and ankles to the bed. “Comfy?”

“Will you believe me if I say yes?” she deadpanned.

He snorted at that, quickly cleaning the area where he would “stab her with a needle”, as she put it earlier. Once done, he grabbed the syringe. 

“You ready?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Never will be,” she grunted, closing her eyes. “Don’t forget to lock the door, ‘kay?”

“Aa. Sweet dreams.”

She snorted at the irony of it all, though her amusement soon faded to a wince of pain as he got to work. She already knew what to expect, and she could only hope the experience wasn’t as bad as she recalled it to be.

Soon enough, darkness claimed her.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t last.

* * *

“She _what_?”

“She’s undergoing some treatment for her insomnia,” repeated Itona, leaning back in his seat. “She’ll be back in four days.”

“I didn’t know it had gotten this bad,” frowned Rio. 

“Maa, she’ll be fine,” replied Karma. “It’s Ame we’re talking about, after all.”

The blonde could only agree, though she was still worried. 

* * *

The treatment consisted of forcefully induced sleep, which would force her body to gain back a regular sleeping schedule. However, this kind of state only made dreams more vivid. So, those undergoing that treatment usually trashed around a lot and were unable to wake up on their own, hence why they had to be restrained. 

It would last for two days. On the third day, Ame would be woken up. She’d eat something, then rest for the day. After what, she’d return home. Then, for a week, each morning and each evening, she’d take a pill that would help her keep up with her usual life. She’d be exhausted for a while, but the pills would also keep the nightmares at bay, so that was a plus.

It was a rough experience, but it worked. And, well, in their line of work, the Zodiac couldn’t afford to go at it the regular way.

When Yagi went to finally wake Ame up, he was expecting a mess. And, as feared, the girl was incredibly pale, her wrists were red and bleeding, and she had bit her lips so hard it had also drawn blood. With a sigh, he injected the chemical meant to wake her without wasting any time. Knowing she’d open her eyes in a few minutes at most, he untied her wrists and ankles and started cleaning her wrists. 

She only woke up once he was done bandaging them.

“Ame, do you recognize me?” he asked calmly.

“Ya… Yagi…”

“What day is it?”

“It’s… ugh… I dunno… Too fuzzy…”

“It’s fine. Don’t stress your vocal cords. You’ve been screaming for a while,” he replied, handing her a glass of water. “Drink everything.”

He didn’t need to ask. Her throat was so sore it burnt as if she had swallowed an entire glass of lava. So, gulping down the water as if her life depended on it, she then took a moment to settle down her thought. Things were still a little hazy, but she wasn’t as lost anymore.

“I brought donuts,” then announced Yagi, handing over a box. “Eat all of them and go back to sleep.”

“I don’t really feel like eating—“

_“Eat.”_

“Yes sir,” she paled.

While she did as told, she bit her lower lip. Her nightmares were still as vivid in her mind, made-up dialogues and actual words mixing and making it hard to distinguish her dreams from reality… but she knew it was real.

_Me… Saru’s successor?_

“… Yagi?”

“What?”

“… nothing. Sorry. My head’s—“ She coughed a little, her throat burning up again. “S- sorry.”

“Stop talking, stupid girl,” he huffed. “There’s more water on the nightstand. Drink, eat, and sleep. Don’t get up or come out of this room until I give you the go, understood.”

“Aa.”

She couldn’t ask. Even if she wanted to… she was scared of the answer.

So, she kept her mouth shut and simply enjoyed her donuts.

* * *

“Ame!”

The girl laughed as Rio brought her into a tight hug.

“Are you okay?” asked the blonde. “I was so worried! Itona said you were undergoing some sort of treatment for insomnia, but—“

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” assured the girl, honest. “Things were hectic for a while, but I’m better now. Don’t worry about it.”

“Well, if you’re sure… Anyway, Karma and I shared the task of taking notes for you, and Itona’s going to help you catch up on the three days you missed, so…”

As her friend started ranting, Ame thought things over: she had avoided a serious crisis, but she was never short on problems and issues. She couldn’t help but feel that things wouldn’t go so smoothly for much longer… and it scared her.

 _But whatever happens, I’m not alone._ She glanced back at Rio, offering the girl a smile. _That’s all that matters._


	25. Twenty-Fifth Period: Leader Time!

One way or another, the students of the E-Class had figured out Isogai worked in a café at a good distance from the school. So, intending to pry a little, Maehara, Nagisa, Kayano, Kataoka and Okajima had infiltrated said café to keep an eye on their class representative. No matter how hard they looked, though, Isogai didn’t seem to possess any flaw. Even if his poor financial status was negative, he managed to turn it into a cool-guy advantage! In the end, they gave up on finding anything wrong with the boy. They were now enjoying their free second round of tea when the door of the café suddenly slammed open, the bell jingling loudly.

“Welcome—oh, Ame-san!” greeted cheerfully Isogai. “Your usual?”

The girl laughed, running past him. “You know me too well, Isogai-kun!”

She didn’t even notice the others and rushed into the kitchen, while the boy calmly wrote down “her usual”. Before their classmates could ask any questions, though, three rough-looking men suddenly entered the café, their skin covered in tattoos, and armed with baseball bats.

“Welcome! How may I help you?” greeted Isogai, completely unbothered by their threatening looks.

“Enough, kid!” snapped one of them, walking up to him. He grabbed the boy’s collar, shaking him a little. “You’ve played us for long enough! Just tell us where you’re hiding her!”

The E-Class students stiffened, wondering if they should interfere, but the calm look on Isogai’s face stopped them in their tracks. 

“If you’re looking for a girl with black hair, she ran past the restaurant not a minute ago,” he answered with a pleasant smile. “Will that be all?”

“Don’t you try fooling me—“

The door suddenly opened again, the jingling of the bell drawing everyone’s attention. A grey-haired woman came in, looking shaken up.

“Oh, dear me!” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe it!”

“What is it, Ito-san?” Isogai instantly asked the customer as if he wasn’t currently being shaken around like a ragdoll. “Is there anything wrong?”

“A young black-haired girl almost ran into me just now!” she replied, obviously troubled by the whole ordeal. “I almost fell into the street, and she didn’t even stop to apologize! I swear, youngsters these days… They should be more like you, Isogai-kun! And—oh, who are your friends?”

“Difficult customers, I’m afraid,” replied simply the boy, still smiling. “I’ll be taking your order in a minute, once this gentleman releases me…?”

The man gritted his teeth, but released the boy. He then gestured for the other two to leave and, after glancing around one more time, also left the café. It’s only once the three of them fully disappeared from sight… that all of the people present in the café, saved for the E-Class students, started laughing. Employees and customers alike were all breathless, some hitting their fists on the tables and others applauding the act. Almost instantly, Ame came out of the kitchen, a radiant smile on her face.

“Thank you, thank you!” She bowed dramatically. “I’ll be here all week! Though, I couldn’t have done it without my wonderful partner in crime, Isogai Yuma-kun! And a special thank you to our surprise guest of the week, Ito-san!”

More applauds and laughs followed as the grey-haired woman in question smiled and waved, a faint blush on her cheeks. Isogai rolled his eyes, though he, too, seemed thoroughly amused. Once the excitement quieted down, the boy ordered something on the house for Ito-san, before reporting his attention on Ame.

“You really can’t stay out of trouble, can you, Ame-san?” he mused.

“It’d be boring if I did,” she replied with a grin. “And it’s not like the customers are all that bothered by the free entertainment either, you know?”

“It feels like we’re getting more customers _exactly_ because they expect something of the sort to happen,” sweatdropped the boy.

“Well, can’t blame them—“

“What the _hell.”_

Ame blinked a few times, startled, before turning around. There, sitting around the table, were none other than some of her classmates. She gaped at them, surprised.

“What are you guys doing here?” she wondered.

“Aa? You’re the one who just burst in here like a madwoman while getting chased by those gang members!” replied accusingly Maehara. “We should be the ones asking that!”

“Ame-san has been coming to our café since the first term,” answered calmly Isogai. “It seems to be her favorite hideout, and we’re all too happy to help her out. Even the customers started joining in the fun!”

“But isn’t this, you know, dangerous?” sweatdropped Okajima.

“Maa, if those men start stirring real trouble, we can have the police involved in the blink of an eye,” shrugged Isogai, unbothered. “And, well, as I said before, we’ve started getting more customers ever since Ame-san started coming here, so we can’t complain. My manager already tried to hire her— _twice_.”

“She tried to bribe me with cake, but I refused,” added the girl, a tad sorrowfully. “Though I can’t deny it was a close call…”

“Ah, the wonders of cake,” agreed Korosensei with a nod.

“I know, right— _holy crap_!” Ame jumped, taking a step away from the table. “Ko- Korosensei!? What are _you_ doing here? When’d you get there?”

“The honey toast here is divine!” replied their teacher. “It’s why I turn a blind eye to Isogai’s part-time job. Though, you guys don’t seem too upset about Isogai-kun being such a man among men, or about Naoki-san being such a magnet for trouble.”

“Hey!” protested the girl in question.

“Well, Isogai’s a good guy, that’s all,” shrugged Maehara, and everyone seemed to agree with him. “And Ame being a magnet for trouble is nothing new, so…”

“Hey!” she protested yet again. “I am _not!”_

They all looked at her for a moment without a word. She deflated at that.

“Well… maybe a little…” she relented.

At the same moment, the bell signaling the arrival of new costumers jingled. Ame stiffened, wondering if the gang members had come back after all… but the reality was so much _worse._

“Ooh? What is that?” None other than Araki smirked, somewhat cruelly. “Our intel was right. A student _is_ working here!”

“Eh, eh, Isogai! You naughty boy!” taunted Koyama. 

“This is your second major violation of the school rules, isn’t it?” Asano remarked smugly. “I expected better, Isogai.”

“Ya bastard…” growled Ame, taking a step forward. “Give me _one_ good reason why I shouldn’t punch ya in da fucking face!”

He simply raised an eyebrow. “Because you would be expelled from school for assaulting a student?”

“Ah! Ma family’s worth more than a stupid school,” she retorted, clenching her fists. “I almost lost ma siblings because of ya! Don’t ya have any shame!?”

“But you’re still together after all, aren’t you?” he replied, narrowing his eyes. “A pity, really. Guess I won’t do the job half-heartedly next time around.”

“Why you—“

“Ame-san, enough,” intervened Isogai, frowning. “Asano, let’s take this outside, please. We’re disturbing the customers.”

The prick nodded and was the first to step outside, quickly followed by his lapdogs. With a sigh, Isogai then offered a weak smile at Ame.

“Thank you for trying to divert his attention from my situation, but don’t get in trouble because of me,” he simply asked. 

“… fine. Though, I meant what I said,” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I still really want to punch him.”

He chuckled at that, though it was weak. After what, he quickly went outside, though he was followed by the rest of his classmates. Soon enough, the Big Five was facing members of the E-Class once again. 

“The last time we found out about your job, you went down to the E-Class,” pointed out Asano, instantly getting to the heart of the problem. “It seems you’ve done no soul-searching since then.”

“Can’t you keep this quiet, Asano?” pleaded Isogai. “Just working this month will net me all the money I need.”

“Well, I _would_ like to give you a chance, if I can…” His smirk obviously said otherwise. “All right—on one condition. Show me your fighting spirit and we’ll pretend this never happened.”

“My… fighting spirit?” repeated Isogai, confused.

“Per school tradition, those who possess a fighting spirit out in society are revered above all else,” explained the asshole. “A fighting spirit that garners enough respect to nullify a conduct violation. And to show that spirit… I suggest a competition of pole-toppling at the Sports Festival.”

“P- Pole-toppling?” gasped Maehara. 

“Isn’t that dangerous?” murmured Kayano, worried.

“You have until the Sports Festival to decide,” announced Asano, turning around to leave. “If you decide not to compete, though, then I’m afraid I’ll have to tell the Principal about your violation of the school’s rules. Until then, Isogai.”

The E-Class could only stare in shock as their sworn rivals left.

_We… really can’t catch a break, can we?_

* * *

.

.

“Pole-toppling at the Sports Festival?”

“Yep. If we beat the A-Class, they’ll let Isogai slide,” confirmed Maehara. 

“Tche. Obviously, they’re looking to embarrass us,” scoffed Terasaka. 

“So? What do we do?” asked Sugino. “If we say no, Isogai will be penalized again. Screw this up and he might even be expelled!”

“No, you don’t have to,” however refused Isogai. “You never know what Asano has up his sleeve. And besides, I made this bed—I’ll take responsibility and lie in it. Expel me for all I care! I can still pull off an assassination off school grounds!”

…

…

…

“What… A HORRIBLE IDEA!!!” instantly refused the rest of the boys.

“E- eh!?”

“Quit acting so self-satisfied, you cow-licked poor!”

“You’re an idiot!”

“Stop being a self-sacrificing moron!”

“Don’t overthink this, Isogai,” then remarked Maehara with a grin. “We just have to beat those nerds at pole-toppling, right? We’ve got this in the bag!”

“We sure do!” agreed Mimura. “We’re practically lucky you got caught working!”

“This is our chance to pay them back for all their daily spite!” added Terasaka.

“Topple them—hell, we’ll _destroy_ them!” assured Yoshida.

“You guys…” Isogai chuckled, before grinning back. “Yosh! Let’s do it!”

“YEAH!”

Ame smiled softly at the boys’ joyous exclamations. It would seem they were determined to help Isogai out _and_ kick Asano’s butt, too. She had been a little worried things wouldn’t go as smoothly since normal people would be a tad more worried about getting involved in such a physical activity but, then again, they were the E-Class: when did things ever go normally?

“Ame-san?”

She looked up, only to find Isogai leaning over the window under which she was sitting.

“Yo.”

“Why didn’t you go home along with the other girls?” he wondered, curious.

“Please, as if I’d miss your top-secret meeting,” she teased. 

“Not so secret if you heard everything, uh?” he joked.

She chuckled at that, before getting up to properly face him. “Isogai-kun… I want to help, too.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I want to join the team,” she announced, serious.

He however frowned. “No way. It’s too dangerous. If you—“

“It’s only dangerous if they catch me,” she cut him off, serious. “And I- I’m not all that strong physically, but I’m fast and agile on my feet. I can give them a hard time. And, well, isn’t it better to have as many people as you can by your side? There’s no limit to the number of people you can have on your team, after all.”

“I…” He stared at her for a moment, before smiling in defeat. “There’s no talking you out of it, is there?”

“Nope!” she confirmed cheerfully. Then, her traits softened a bit. “Isogai-kun… You’ve helped me out many times in the past. Let me return the favor, okay?”

“Fine, fine,” he gave in. “But I’ll definitely blame myself if you get injured, got it?”

“That’s a low blow,” she snorted. “But deal. Let’s kick their asses!”

She extended her fist to him. Surprised, he then bumped his own against it, grinning back.

“Right!”

* * *

.

.

The day of the Sports Festival came at last. It was probably the only school event she ever really bothered participating in before since she could play some sports without having to pay for it, but she wasn’t here for the race or the other activities today: no, today, she was here to _win._

She glanced at Isogai, easily noticing his frown.

“Something wrong, Isogai-kun?” she wondered.

“It’s just…” He let out a heavy sigh, closing the strategy book he had been studying up until now. “No matter what anyone says, Asano is one amazing guy. I’m… definitely no match for him.”

Ame considered his words for a moment. Then, she grabbed his book and, without any ceremonies, threw it away. 

“A- Ame-san!?”

“Why bother yourself with that stuff?” she mused. “You’re an assassin: think _outside_ the book. Asano might be one amazingly smart guy, but you and he are different people with different upbringings and different goals in mind. Just like you can’t compare an apple to an orange, you can’t compare yourself to him: you’re both your own person. However! What he has in numbers and brain, he lacks in allies and leadership abilities. He may be strong on his own, but we’re strong as a whole. He’s setting out alone on the field, while you’re setting out with your friends. That has to count for something, right?”

He gaped at her for a few seconds, unable to find an answer. She smiled at that, before handing him a piece of cloth to tie around his forehead.

“What are you waiting for, leader?” she teased. “We’re ready!”

His eyes widened at that and he turned around, startled to find the rest of the boys grinning at him, obviously backing up her words. He let out a somewhat disbelieving laugh before grabbing the cloth and tying it around his head.

“All right, guys!” he exclaimed. “Let’s go into this guns blazing—like always!”

“YEAH!”

Unable to conceal her excitement, Ame cheered along. The rest of the boys had been surprised when Isogai told them she’d be joining them, but none had protested as he did. After all, they were all well aware of her skills. Frankly, she was probably the last person who’d get injured in that battle.

_And now… let’s show this asshole what we’re made of!_

* * *

**“And now, for an exhibition match! Seems the E-Class has challenged the A-Class to a battle! Okay, Kunugigaoka’s elite—give them hell!”**

Ame narrowed her eyes at the team farther away. Asano was standing on the far side and he had a greater number of participants… but they weren’t students of Kunugigaoka.

“Foreigners?” gasped Nagisa.

“That’s gotta be against the rules!” protested Okajima.

**“In the spirit of cultural exchange, this exhibition match will include all our exchange students!”**

“That Asano’s being way too careful,” cursed Maehara. “Is that how badly he wants to win?”

“No matter,” replied Ame, stretching her arms. “Isogai-kun, shall we?”

“Aa. Everyone, get in position!”

* * *

Asano smirked. With so few members, the E-Class would have no choice but to go on offense. And, when they did, they’d be crushed by their iron-clad defenses—

“Oi, does the End Class even _want_ to win?” suddenly asked Koyama, frowning. “No one’s on offense—no, wait. They put that girl on offense, but she’s the only one!”

Asano stiffened, instantly narrowing in eyes at the enemy. As told, all of the boys were gathered around the pole, with Isogai standing on top of them. Before them, Naoki Ame was standing on her own, arms crossed behind her back and her face radiating calm and confidence. 

**“What’s with the E-Class? They’re going all-in on defense! Might they be cowed by the skill gap? And they’ve only got a girl on the offense!? But no matter. Now… let the battle begin!”**

Asano shook his head. They were trying to lure them, but he wouldn’t fall for it so easily. He had planned for every possible scenario: he was going to _crush_ them. 

_“Offense Team, Plan F!”_ he ordered.

 _“Roger!”_ replied the foreign student.

Four of them instantly started running forward. The E-Class could only watch as the four students started running toward them like enraged bulls. It was obvious they weren’t aiming for the pole, but the students, and they braced themselves for the incoming storm.

“Ame-san, watch out!” exclaimed Isogai in worry.

“Damn it!” cursed Yoshida.

“We can’t take this!” added Muramatsu.

The two instantly broke off the formation and threw themselves before Ame, blocking the first foreign student before he could reach her. They managed to hold him off for a second, but ended up being literally thrown aside, and they didn’t get up.

**“Whoa, two down! They’ve been flung out to the stands! And now Naoki’s facing them on her own—wait. Where’s Naoki?”**

“Ah!” exclaimed the English student. _“Why don’t you fight instead of defending like a bunch of turtles? Hm, but you don’t even understand me, do you?”_

_“As a matter of fact, I do. And why bother fighting a bunch of losers, really? You’re so easily sidetracked, it’s almost pathetic. Like bulls obsessed with the red flag, uh? Can’t see anywhere else than ahead.”_

The foreign student stiffened at the voice… that came from behind him. Spinning around, he found none other than the girl from earlier now standing smack in the middle of the field, many meters away.

 _She used the distraction to move past our defense,_ he realized. _To cross such a distance in the span of a few seconds… She’s fast!!!_

**“N- Naoki got past the first wall of defense! She’s alone in enemy territory, but she’s standing in place. Could she be too scared to move any further on her own?”**

She rolled her eyes at the biased commentary but didn’t say anything more, keeping her eyes on the students ahead of her. The four behind her would be handled by her team.

 _“Hey, why don’t you attack instead of chatting away?”_ then taunted Karma with a heavy accent.

 _“Tche, fine. Bring it on!”_ replied the foreign student.

He charged forward, ready to destroy them. Just as he reached them, though, Isogai gave the signal and the first round of students protecting the pole all jumped as high as they could… before landing back on the four students, pinning them to the ground. Itona then jumped on the pole and made it topple low enough to trap them under it, therefore immobilizing them.

**“The- the E-Class comes together with the weight of the pole! Now, this is intense! They’re playing dirty!”**

On his side, Asano analyzed the situation. While their defense was splendid, they had seven of them strictly on defense and two were out for the count. Sure, having Naoki taunting them of the sort in the middle of the field was irritating, but it’s not like she’d be able to do much on her own. Now that they were all divided, his team simply had more of an advantage.

“Guerilla teams on both flanks: Plan K!”

Ten more students instantly started running. Isogai wasn’t deterred by their numbers or formation in the slightest, though.

“Come on out!” he exclaimed. “Attack team! Operation: Mucus!”

“Got it!”

Isogai, Maehara, Okajima, Kimura, Karma, and Sugino started running forward, through the opening that had been left by the scattered team members. As soon as they did so, though, the two groups turned back and started chasing them.

**“Oh! They’ve chased after the E-Class and are back on the defensive! What will the E-Class do?”**

The boys stopped running, trapped. Then, exchanging a decisive nod, they started running again… this time toward the stands. Without hesitation, they jumped over the fences and started fleeing through the stands. Agile, they jumped from chair to chair with ease, avoiding their pursuers without any difficulties. 

“Akabane! Kimura! And Isogai! Keep an eye on those three in particular!” instantly ordered Asano, gritting his teeth. “And Naoki—wait, where is she!?”

Because once again… the girl was missing. She no longer was in the middle of the field, and she wasn’t causing a ruckus in the stands either.

_Then where—_

“Whew, so glad to see you haven’t forgotten about me! That’d be a pretty amateurish mistake.”

He stiffened, along with whoever was left on his team, and all eyes snapped to none other than Naoki Ame, who was now standing… right next to their pole. She had gotten through their airtight defenses without even being noticed, using the commotion to get close to her target.

 _“Last defense, take her!”_ he instantly ordered.

Asano wasn’t stupid. Naoki obviously had something up her sleeve and he wouldn’t let her get any closer to achieving her goal. The four students on the right defense instantly moved in to take care of her, but she simply laughed, easily moving out of the way. He gritted his teeth at that but, before he could think of another plan, another problem came up.

“It’s time, isn’t it?” remarked loudly Karma.

“Aa. Go!” yelled Isogai.

And suddenly, Muramatsu and Yoshida reappeared on the field. The two who had supposedly been down for the count earlier were now back on their feet and running straight for the pole, which was now only defended by the last six students. Asano instantly realized his mistake when understanding he had dispatched his last line of defense against a single girl. 

**“W- what!? Where did those two E-Class goons come from!?”**

“Alright, we’re done running!” warned Isogai. “Okay, team: Sonic!”

The boys in the stands instantly started running for the enemy pole and, in a matter of seconds, they all collided with it. Now glued to it, all they had to do was climb up there and make it topple. However, their victory was of short notice as Asano, who was still standing on top, threw away his helmet and started kicking them off one after the other. Having obviously learned martial arts, he was easily stopping any of them from climbing.

“You and I are apparently standing on the same stage,” he remarked, a tad darkly, as he stood on the very top of the pole. “Surely you’re prepared to get kicked off.”

“Less talking, more acting!”

His eyes widened as none other than Naoki somehow managed to climb up. She tried to kick him off but he swung aside, avoiding the hit. He instantly returned the blow but she twisted her body around the pole and managed to escape it. They then started exchanging hits and kicks, neither managing to shove the other down. While Asano was too stubborn to give up his spot on the top, she was more than determined to kick him off, and their wills were evenly matched.

**“I- I can’t believe this! Asano from the A-Class and Naoki form the E-Class are having some sort of mid-air battle! They’re both exchanging tough blows, and neither seems about to fall off! It’s an _actual_ fight! But the A-Class is back on their feet and are closing on the E-Class once again. What will they do?”**

However, the E-Class hadn’t said their last word. Leaving only two men on the defensive, the rest of the team showed up and tried to topple the pole. The added weight managed to make it topple slightly, but not enough. Ame almost slipped when Asano managed to harshly kick her in the face, but she held on tightly, and she returned the blow in kind when she hit him square in the nose. He didn’t let go either, though.

“You’re a real pain, Naoki,” grunted the boy as he escaped her foot, some drops of blood dripping down his nose

“You’re one to talk, Asano Junior,” she retorted, red trailing down her lips. She then grinned. “Now, Itona!!!”

Startled by the sudden exclamation, Asano snapped his eyes to the boy in question. The half-second of inattention was all that Ame needed and, without hesitation, she propelled herself at the boy. Latching her arms around him, she forcefully dragged him down with her. Just as they both hit the ground, Itona harshly kicked the top of the pole, which was now undefended, and the last blow was enough to make it topple fully: the pole hit the ground, at last, signaling the end of the game.

**“Ah… uh… the A-Class…”**

“The E-Class… wins!” exclaimed Isogai, pumping his fist in the air.

Ame exhaled in relief at that, lying down while she tried to catch her breath. She had honestly never fought mid-air before and, while fun, it was a tad exhausting.

“Oi…” She tilted her head to Asano, who was lying down next to her, stiff. “You okay? I tried to protect your head when remembering you didn’t have your helmet, but—“

“Enough of the pleasantries, Naoki-san,” he replied harshly, getting up. He was gritting his teeth tightly, obviously mad. “You win, I lose. I won’t bother Isogai anymore, as agreed on.”

Before she could reply anything, he stalked off. She couldn’t help but feel a little smug when noticing his bleeding nose, though. Sure, she didn’t want to badly injure him, but getting to punch him in the face and _not_ be punished for it? Surely she had died and gone to heaven.

“Ame-san?” She blinked, looking up to find Isogai looming over her. “Are you alright?”

“Uh? Sure.” She then grinned. “Good game, leader.”

He smiled back. “All thanks to you and the others. Let’s get you up!”

He extended his hand to her. She grabbed it but, just as he pulled to help her back on her feet, pain shot through her limb. She let out a curse as she instantly let go of his hand, falling back on her rear.

“A- Ame-san?”

“I think I fell on my shoulder when we landed,” she cringed, rubbing the sore limb. 

He sighed in defeat at that. “And here I thought we had managed a game without injuries… Here, use the other hand.”

She grabbed his once more, using her left one this time around, and she was finally back on her feet.

“Well, can’t deny it was cool, can you?” she then replied, a tad smugly. “And I had a lot of fun, too. We should do that again sometime! Though, just with our class. That way, we won’t have to worry about actual injuries, you know?”

He chuckled at that. “I’m sure Karasuma-sensei would like that idea—for training purpose, of course.”

“Of course.”

They exchanged a knowing grin at that.

“Oi, you guys done flirting or what?” suddenly called Maehara. “We gotta clean up, so stop holding each other’s hand already!”

“We’re not—“ Ame’s protest died on her lips when she realized that they were, in fact, still holding hands. She instantly let go, somewhat embarrassed. “S- sorry. Didn’t notice.”

“It- it’s fine, it’s fine!” assured instantly the boy, a faint red rising on his cheeks. He rubbed the back of his head, looking away. “A- anyway, I should go help them…”

“I’ll come—“

“You go find the nurse so she can patch you up,” he replied, now frowning slightly. “Considering how you fell earlier, your shoulder might be dislocated. You shouldn’t strain yourself even more.”

“Ugh, I know you’ll keep nagging me if I refuse, so fine,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “I’ll be back in a few.”

“Aa.”

She waved with her good hand before heading inside. In a way, Isogai wasn’t wrong: it’s not like she could have helped in carrying all the stuff inside with her injured shoulder. And, well, it saved her from cleaning duty, so it wasn’t all that bad. As she started making her way to the nurse’s office, though, she could feel the heavy stares weighing on her back. Just as she reached the stairs, though, she found herself facing three familiar girls.

_Aren’t those the girls who kept bitching me a few months ago…?_

Just as she was about to snap at them to move out of her way, though, the three girls offered her big, bright grins.

“Naoki-sempai!”

“Naoki-san, you were amazing!”

“Naoki-sempai, that was so cool!”

“Aa…?”

The girls kept on gushing about her feats during the exhibition match, which threw Ame out for a loop. She was expecting jeers and taunts, not cheers and praises. She was honestly at loss as to how to react. After a minute or so, she finally regained some of her senses and offered them a nervous grin. Thanking them, she then quickly made her way upstairs as they bid her a wonderful day.

_That was so weird…_

Though now it explained why so many people were staring in curiosity or awe instead of the usual judging looks. Frankly, though, she couldn’t tell what was worst: them being annoying or them acting nice.

_I mean, it’s such a creepy change of pace!_

Just as she passed by the principal’s office, though, the door swung open. She froze in place as the principal himself stepped outside. When he saw her, he plastered a cold, placid smile on his lips, but his eyes were as dead as always, if not more than usual.

“I heard about the exhibition match. Good work today, Naoki-san,” he congratulated. The slight tension in his jaw told her how angry he really was, though. “You’re holding your shoulder… Might you have gotten injured during the match?”

“It’s dislocated,” she admitted. “I was heading for the nurse’s office.” _Otherwise said, scram so I can leave already!_

“I see, I see. Then, do you mind if I ask a favor of you?”

 _Yes, very much so._ “Not at all. How can I be of help?”

“Can you please tell the nurse to come to my office once she’s done treating your shoulder?”

 _Well, not what I was expecting, but…_ “Of course. If that is all, then…”

“Aa. Have a good day, Naoki-san.”

She bowed as he walked away. As soon as he was gone, though, she couldn’t help but grow curious. Why would the principal ask for the nurse if he wasn’t even in his office in the first place? Unable to help herself, she checked around to make sure no one was looking before grabbing the handle and slightly opening the door. Peering through the crack, she frowned when realizing it was too dark for her to see anything.

_What—_

“Ugh…”

 _“Kevin!”_ She stiffened at Asano Junior’s exclamation. _“Kevin, are you alright?”_

A pained groan answered him. This time, definitely worried, Ame slipped inside and closed the door behind her, without a sound. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the omnipresent darkness but, once they did, she almost regretted stepping inside in the first place. 

“What- what the _hell!?”_ she let out.

Asano instantly stiffened, snapping his eyes to her. “Naoki! What—“

“Did your father do that?” she asked, pale. “Did he…”

Lying on the ground were the four exchange students they had confronted earlier in the exhibition match. They were a bloody mess, red pooling all around them. Two seemed unconscious, a third was holding his arm like it was broken, and the fourth one, the blond named Kevin, had bruises blooming all over his face and blood pouring down his nose.

It was brutal. It was merciless. It was _disgusting._

“Asano,” she snapped, shaking off her shock. She’d have time to ask questions later. “Come on, we have to bring them to the nurse’s office.”

“We- we can’t. If the other students see them like that—“

“Then lets at least settle them down properly until the nurse comes,” sighed the girl. “Help me out, I won’t be able to move them on my own.”

He nodded stiffly. He had no idea why the girl was there, but there was no helping it now. So, gritting his teeth, he went to Kevin first. The blond couldn’t even stand, so both Ame and Asano Junior had to drag him to the wall. The girl handed him some tissues so he could stop his nosebleed, before moving on to the second guy. She grabbed his jacket and made a sling in which his broken arm could lay, so it wouldn’t be as painful. The other two, who were unconscious, were laid down next to each other with pillows made of their jackets. Once they were done, both students stepped outside.

“I’ll handle things from here,” he then stated, gesturing for her to go ahead. “You may go.”

“Actually, I’ve got to go to the nurse’s office,” admitted the girl, gesturing to her unresponsive shoulder. “It got dislocated when we fell earlier.”

“I see. Let’s go, then.”

She simply nodded, following after him. They both stayed silent: one because she didn’t know what to say, and the other because he didn’t want to talk. They crossed paths with many students on their way to the nurse’s office, but completely ignored the baffled looks shot their way. The last thing they wanted was to extend their time together.

When they finally reached their destination, though, it was only to discover that the nurse had gone out to buy some more supplies and wouldn’t be back for a while longer.

“Well, the others won’t let me hear the end of it if I come back untreated,” sighed the girl, going to sit on the bed. “You can leave, Asano. I’ll tell the nurse—“

“I’ll tell her myself.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything more, simply settling down comfortably. Silence fell in the room, the girl simply gazing outside while the boy mulled over his thoughts.

“… you can’t tell anyone.”

“Uh?” blinked Ame, glancing back to the jerk.

He gritted his teeth. “You can’t tell anyone. About… about what you saw. My father…”

“The principal beat up four exchange students for no other reason than losing, I’m guessing,” scoffed the girl. “He ought to get arrested for assaulting minors, really.” _But if he’s arrested, it’ll mess up with our assassination._ “But fine. I won’t say anything.”

“He didn’t beat them up because they lost,” retorted Asano Junior, annoyed. “They provoked him and that was the result.”

“Provoked him?”

“… they tried to stand up for me.” He lowered his eyes, his fists clenching tightly. “Those idiots took responsibility for my failure and ended up like this! _”_

“… that’s why you’re here,” she then realized, her eyes widening a little. “You… you’re actually feeling _guilty_?”

He glared at her at that. “Of course I am! They got hurt so badly when trying to help me… I know you view me as some kind of- of—“

“Asshole? Jerk? Arrogant twat? A bastard with an ego-complex?”

His glare hardened before he sighed in resignation. “I’m not without fault, but I take responsibility for my mistakes. That’s all.”

She considered him for a moment, thinking over his words. They had met under the wrong circumstances, and she hadn’t been all that kind when they first crossed paths.

::

_“… Asano Gakushu.”_

_“Oh.” Understanding then dawned on her: “Wait, you’re the principal’s son?”_

_He nodded, somewhat arrogantly. Now that the girl knew to whom she was talking to, she would back down and bow like everyone else—_

_“Wow. And I thought_ I _had it rough.”_

::

But then, he always tried to cause trouble for the E-Class, be it in school or their personal life—herself was a primary example of this. However, she couldn’t deny that he was honorable, if nothing else. He was true to his word and kept his promises, indicating he had some sense of honor. While she wouldn’t call him trustworthy, she could now honestly say he wasn’t _too much_ of a bad guy. He was just really ambitious, and that ambition sometimes led him to make some rash decisions that could hurt others.

“… you’re not half-bad, Gakushu,” she mused, startling him out of his thoughts. She then offered a wry grin. “You know, when you’re not trying to destroy us.”

He let out a startled, somewhat disbelieving laugh at that, returning a similar grin.

_Well, we’re far from being at peace, but I guess we can agree on a truce._

_For now, at least._

* * *

.

.

When the nurse finally came back, she quickly reset Ame’s shoulder, grumbling under her breath about “ _stupid kids who can’t stay in one piece_ ”. She attached the arm in a swing so it’d be able to rest and gave the teen some painkillers. After what, she ordered the girl to lay down for fifteen minutes so the pills could take effect before she could go. Then, the nurse quickly left with Asano Junior. So, fifteen minutes later, Ame no longer felt any strain in her reset shoulder, and she also left the nurse’s office. Just as she stepped outside, though, she found herself facing a young boy with disheveled black hair. She couldn’t remember his face, meaning they hadn’t met before, but he seemed somewhat nervous.

When he saw her, a faint blush rose on his cheeks.

“Na- Naoki-sempai!” he greeted.

 _First or second-year, then. By his appearance, though, I’d say second-year._ “Yes?”

“A- ano… I was really amazed by your match today!” he exclaimed, scratching the back of his head. “You faced all those tough guys on your own and you were evenly matched with Asano-sempai… You were really awesome!”

“Err, thanks?” She then decided that she might as well play nice since he was only there to congratulate her. “What’s your name?”

“I- I’m Shinomiya Shouto! From class 2-B!” He bowed in greeting, before his blush deepened. “And I… I was wondering… Would- would you like to be my girlfriend?”

“… eh?”

…

…

…

“EH!?”

* * *

“And you said—“

“ _No_! Of _course_ I said no!”

Rio chuckled at her friend’s distressed expression. When Ame came back to the classroom looking so rattled, the blonde had been worried another assassination attempt had been carried against her. She never would have guessed that what had shocked the orange-eyed girl beyond words was none other than a _love confession_.

“What was going on through that head of his, seriously?” insisted Ame, confused and mortified at the same time. “It was _so_ weird!”

“Please tell me you let him down gently, at least,” pleaded Rio, amused.

“Well, I said no and that was that.” Ame shrugged in a ‘what-can-you-do’ gesture. “I mean, what else could I say?”

“I dunno, maybe something along the lines of ‘ _I’ll think about it’_ , or something like that,” suggested the blonde.

“But it’s not like I would have,” frowned Ame, still confused. “I clearly wasn’t interested. Why would I sugarcoat that? He’d only be hanging to false hopes. In my books, that’s more harsh than flat out rejecting him.”

“I guess so…”

“Hey, girls!”

At the exclamation, both girls turned around to find Maehara, Isogai, Sugino, and Nagisa heading their way. They had apparently finished cleaning up, and the rest of the boys would surely be back to class in the next few minutes. 

“Guys, guys, guess what!” exclaimed Rio, grinning from ear to ear. 

Understanding instantly dawned on Ame, who tried to stop her. “No, wait, Rio! Don’t—“

“Ame got a love confession!” 

…

…

…

_“EH!?”_

“I know, right?” laughed the blonde.

“Rio!” protested Ame with a growl, growing embarrassed. “You don’t need to yell it from the rooftops either! I didn’t even accept it!”

“Ah, a flat-out ‘ _no’_ , uh?” laughed Maehara, ruffling her hair. “That’s so like you, Ame! And Isogai also got some more love confessions today, too! Ugh, you two sure are made for each other!”

Ame blinked at that. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Now, now, stop teasing her already,” then interfered Isogai, shaking his head with a small smile. “We should probably head back inside.”

“Maa, maa, it’s fine!” replied Rio, slinging an arm around Ame’s neck, mindful not to touch her shoulder. “It’s not like an opportunity like that comes up often! I mean, _Ame_ getting a _love_ _confession_? That’s like a live comedy show!”

Ame huffed at that. “Now you’re just being mean. I’m not that bad, seriously.”

“Not that bad? You’re too strong, so no guy would be able to protect you! What guy wants a girlfriend who could beat him up with her little finger?” pointed out Maehara.

“And you’re super secretive too!” added Rio, a tad dramatically. “Secrets are a no-go in romantic relationships, you know?”

“Plus, you keep getting all those injuries!” Ame flinched as Maehara roughly poked her bandaged arm. “You’re a real trouble-maker!”

“And a trouble magnet!” laughed Rio. “Seriously, finding you a boyfriend is like, the equivalent of mission impossible.”

“Who said I _wanted_ a boyfriend in the first place?” retorted Ame, growing annoyed. 

Maehara winked at that. “Oh, so you’re playing for the other team, then?”

“Okay, okay, how about we go back in class, now?” suddenly suggested Sugino, coming to stand between her and Maehara. “Come on, let’s go.”

“W- wait! Oi, Sugino!”

Merciless, the baseball lover grabbed both Maehara and Rio by their collars before dragging them back inside. Nagisa chuckled nervously, then quickly followed after them, leaving both Isogai and Ame behind. Once they were gone, Ame let out an irritated sigh. 

“Don’t mind them, Ame-san,” then said Isogai, drawing her attention. “They’re just teasing. I’m sure whoever becomes your boyfriend will be a very lucky guy.”

And he offered a sweet smile. She blinked a few times, startled, before her cheeks started heating up.

“W- where’d that come from!? Don’t say stuff like that!”

He simply laughed, making her blush deepen. Annoyed, she spun on her heels and started heading back inside without another look back.

 _They’re all so annoying, teasing me like that! And I’m dead meat if Hana gets wind of it._ She then shuddered, a horrifying thought creeping in her mind. _Or worst, Uma!_

She could only hope her friends wouldn’t spread the news like wildfire. If they did, she’d never hear the end of it.


	26. Twenty-Sixth Period: Mistake Time

“All right, class! The second-term midterms are just two weeks away!” exclaimed Korosensei. “The time has come at last to surpass the A-Class! Let’s go into this red-hot! Hot! Hot!”

Ame almost felt sick when watching Korosensei flash-stepping all around the classroom, creating more clones than what was necessary, really. The octopus had been overexcited ever since they had beaten Asano as the Sports Festival, failing to notice the tension that had been rising in the classroom ever since.

After all, only five months were left until Korosensei’s deadline.

_If we can’t kill before March, then Earth will be no better than that moon of hours…_

Everyone was growing restless, impatient. If they wanted to be able to kill him, then they’d have to become even stronger.

“Naoki-san! Please focus on your studies instead of daydreaming!”

“Ugh, shut up!” she snapped, throwing some knives his way.

For only answer, he used his tentacles to tie her arms to the chair before pursuing the private mathematics lesson. Ame struggled for a bit, before giving up and returning to her studies.

_Still, though… His clones were barely disturbed when I threw my knives._

_Could he… could he actually have gotten even faster…?_

* * *

.

.

Ame was busy studying science with Hana’s help when Inu showed up. As per usual, he changed the flowers in the vase on the table before walking up to them with a small smile.

“So? How’s school going?” he asked, curious.

“Well, I can say for sure that I’m not going to fail,” sighed Ame, leaning back in her seat. She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming. “But I _hate_ science, seriously. I have no idea how you can stand it.”

“Because it’s with this science that you hate so much that I can create those awesome poisons?” mused Hana.

“Fair enough.”

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re doing well,” Inu then remarked with a soft smile, before said smile turned to a small smirk. “Though, I’m afraid your friends might be in trouble.”

“Trouble?” she repeated, growing worried. “Why? What happened?”

“Ah, no, I didn’t mean—it’s nothing serious!” he assured, hoping to calm her down. “I just happened to pass by them on my way back. Apparently, they were doing some parkour but they ended up injuring an old man. The old man was sent to the hospital, but I’m afraid your classmates will have to face some punishment.”

“Parkour? In the middle of the day!?” she gasped, jumping to her feet. “Are they _mad!?_ ”

There was a moment of silence. Hana stared at the girl, lifting an eyebrow as if saying “ _you’re not one to talk_ ” and Inu was simply chuckling slightly.

Ame sweatdropped at that. “Yeah… Okay, I’m in no place to talk. But still! Ugh, I better go and check on them. Hana, do you mind if we pick this up later?”

“Always happy to help, Ame,” assured the woman, shooing her toward the door. “Now go, before your friends do anything to make things worst.”

“Right. Later!”

Ame quickly gathered her things before running out. Once the door closed behind her, Hana snorted, crossing her arms behind her head.

“Am I the only one to think she’s a really bad influence on her classmates?” she drawled.

“Well, making mistakes like that isn’t all bad,” mused Inu. “They’ll simply learn from it and grow stronger, just like we all did.”

At that, the red-haired woman smiled a little. “I guess you’re not wrong.”

* * *

.

.

Inu was kind enough to send her the location of the hospital to which the old man had been sent and, as expected, she found almost all of her classmates waiting outside. They all seemed nervous and somewhat ashamed, obviously in no mood for jokes.

“Oi!” she exclaimed, gaining their attention. “What were you guys _thinking!?_ Doing parkour outside of class? In the middle of the day?”

“A- Ame!” Rio gasped, startled. “How’d you know—“

“One of my colleagues saw you,” replied the teen with a frown. “What exactly happened?”

“We- we didn’t mean to!” instantly assured Okajima. “We were just having some fun… and then we fell on the old guy… We didn’t see him!”

“Well, obviously, else you wouldn’t have fallen on him,” retorted the girl, before sighing. “Ugh, Karasuma-sensei is going to have your heads…”

All of the students gulped at that. They already knew they’d be in trouble, but Ame’s words only seemed to make reality even bitterer. Shaking her head, Ame opted to go sit next to Karma. She didn’t know for how long they’d wait, and she didn’t have anything more to say. After all, the scolding they’d get from Karasuma would probably cover everything anyway. She didn’t have to wait for long, though.

“A hairline fracture of the right femur,” announced Karasuma, stepping out of the hospital. “It’s mild enough that he should be up and walking in a week or so, but given that you kids are a state secret, my men are negotiating a gag order and an out-of-court settlement.”

Ame stiffened at the glacial tone. At the same moment, though, killing intent filled the air at once, almost suffocating her. She snapped her eyes to the source, alarmed, but didn’t relax when realizing it was Korosensei. Because, while she was glad it was only their teacher… she was starting to wonder if some assassins after her head wouldn’t have been a better option.

“Ko- Korosensei…” winced Isogai.

The octopus’s skin was pitch black, just like that time back to the beginning of the year, when Nagisa had tried sacrificing himself to kill him.

“But- but it was such a narrow street…!” exclaimed Kimura.

“Who’d ever expect an old man to be riding his bike down there!?” protested Okajima. 

“He’s right,” nodded Okano.

“I _do_ think that what we did was wrong…” murmured Yada. 

“But we did it to sharpen up our skills!” assured Rio, looking away. 

“You just don’t get the pressure and panic of having to save the Earth,” accused Terasaka.

“Guys, enough,” frowned Ame. “I came here because I was worried, but you’re just making your case worst— _ack!”_

Ame could only blink in shock as pain suddenly radiated from her right cheek. She brought her hand to her aching face, more startled than hurt.

_He… hit us…?_

“Will you report that as injuring the students?” asked Korosensei, eerily calm.

“I’ll overlook it this once,” replied Karasuma, crossing his arms over his chest. “I knew the risks when I introduced that high-level training… It may have been too soon for you after all. It’s my fault.”

On that pleasant note, he returned inside. After a few seconds of tensed silence, the rest of the students bowed one after the other.

“We’re sorry.”

“We screwed up.”

“Sorry.”

“You may have grown too strong too fast. Drunk on your own power, you forgot to put yourself in the shoes of someone weaker than you,” scolded Korosensei, still black. “That makes you no different than the students on the main campus!”

Ame bit back a cringe. She knew she wasn’t the one being scolded, but it still hurt a bit. After all, she, too, had made such a mistake before—more than once. The noise of ripping paper then snapped the students out of their daze.

“The midterms are now exactly two weeks away,” announced Korosensei, ripping apart a mathematic book. “I forbid any of you from studying for them.”

“W- what!?”

“No way!”

“You can’t do that!”

“It’s not a punishment,” assured their teacher, his skin finally turning back to its usual yellow. “There are simply other things you should be studying first. I’m responsible, too, for having forgotten to teach them. Now, off you go! You’ll receive more information later today.”

The students nodded silently, still in shock, and quietly parted ways.

Only Ame stayed behind, somewhat ticked off.

“Naoki-san?” the octopus wondered, tilting his head.

“Why’d you hit _me!?”_ she then snapped, annoyed. “I wasn’t even there! I just dropped by to check on everyone!”

“W- what!? You weren’t with them?” he gasped.

“Of course not! I know better than to get caught doing parkour in the city in the middle of the day!”

“Gah! I- I deeply apologize!” Korosensei instantly started bowing at Mach 20, tears streaming down his face. “I am so very sorry! I simply assumed you too had been part of it when finding you here! I’m extremely sorry! How can you forgive such a horrible sensei!?”

“Mmm…” An evil smirk spread Ame’s lips. “Buy me as much chocolate as your monthly allowance permits you.”

Her teacher paled at that. “So- so much money…”

“You hurt an innocent student of yours, Korosensei!” cried out Ame, fake tears prickling her eyes. “It hurts, it hurts…!”

“GAH! I’LL BUY YOU CHOCOLATE IMMEDIATELY!”

_Man, he’s so easy to manipulate… But well, I guess coming here was worth the effort after all._

_SO MUCH CHOCOLATE!_

* * *

.

.

The punishment… didn’t turn out as expected. 

“Listen up, children! Principal Matsukata has been hurt, so he can’t work for a while. So instead, these young men and women will do anything we need for the next two weeks!”

“I can’t believe we all have to be here,” murmured Hazama, annoyed.

“And to think we all received a sticky slap to the face too,” added Hara, rubbing her cheek.

Because, much to everyone’s horror and surprise, Korosensei and Karasuma agreed on a collective punishment, meaning _everyone_ in the class had to pay for their classmates’ mistake. Korosensei also insisted on treating everyone “equally” so, while he did feel bad for hitting Ame out of the blue, he ended up giving the same treatment to the rest of the class. She still received her chocolate, though, so she couldn’t really complain. 

“We’re sorry about this,” sighed Okajima, obviously feeling guilty.

“It’s okay—we should have realized someone could get hurt,” replied gently Kanzaki.

“Well, no point in dwelling on the past,” pointed out Ame, before walking forward until she faced all of the children. She plastered a smile on her face, clasping her hands together. “Hi there! My name’s Ame. Let’s be friends, ne?”

While most of the children instantly warmed up to her, the students could only stare in mild horror at the display. They could almost see sparkles and a sunset behind the girl.

_She’s- she’s a completely different person!!!_

Though she had a point. It’s not like complaining would do much at this point. So, soon enough, all of the students scattered throughout the classroom to mingle with the children. However, the kids were… rambunctious, to say the least. They kept clinging to the teens and yelling and whining, and they also kept on dragging them around or climbing on them while pulling on hair and clothes alike. Ame was busy warding off some boys who were trying to pull her hair when a little girl with pink air and a small scowl stepped up, arms crossed over her chest.

“So?” she asked, apparently annoyed. “What exactly are you planning to do for us, now? Barging in on us _en masse…_ Reckon you can at least work off the oxygen you’re taking up?”

“Wow, rude much?” sweatdropped Ame.

“Talk about being harsh,” nodded Rio, a little pale.

“Uh-oh, Sakura-nee is in a bad mood,” murmured one of the boys clinging to Ame.

“Yeah, these guys are gonna get murdered,” added the second one, who had spiky hair.

“She’s been here five years—the oldest kid around,” pursued the first one. 

“And she spent two of those years resisting school control!” gasped Spiky.

“Sakura-nee, the elite NEET!”

“You make it sound cool and all, but really, she just doesn’t go to school,” deadpanned Muramatsu.

“First, have you got what it takes to work?” exclaimed Sakura, grabbing a broom and facing Nagisa. “Let’s just see, shall we? Hmm?”

She was apparently aiming to hit the blue-haired boy with the broom but, as soon as she made a step forward, the floor cracked open under her, and her foot passed right through it.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! That part of the floor is no good!” groaned the little girl.

“Aren’t you getting it fixed?” Isogai asked the caretaker, curious. “I mean, this building is pretty… decrepit.”

“I’m afraid we don’t have that kind of money,” admitted the woman, a tad ashamed. “Any waitlisted student, any child not attending primary school—our principal takes them in at rock-bottom rates. He can’t even hire enough staff, so he winds up working the hardest.”

“You know, it looks a lot like my home,” mused Ame, taking a better look around. “I mean, before we renovated most of it. And you know, guys, I still have a lot of material left.”

Maehara seemed to catch her drive. “Twenty-eight of us for two weeks… I bet we could get some serious stuff done.”

“Considering what we did in barely ten days with Ame’s house? Piece of cake!” grinned Rio.

“Okay, guys!” exclaimed Isogai, taking commands. “Let’s divvy up the duties and work in Matsukata-san’s stead! First, a strategy meeting!”

“Yeah!”

* * *

Karma, Kayano, Okuda, and Terasaka ended up with the duty of distracting the children. They set up a little theater piece and managed to grab the children’s attention without too much struggle. Kurahashi also helped out. In the meantime, Chiba and Ritsu had to put together some blueprints. Sugino, Sugaya, Maehara, Okajima, and Kimura were designed as the heavy lifters, and had to transport the material they could find around, while Ame left with Yoshida, Muramatsu, and Itona to go grab whatever they could find at her house, which wasn’t too far from there. Rio, Takebayashi, Hara, and Nagisa agreed to look over some of the children’s studies with one-on-one lessons. As for everyone else, they were helping around however they could manage, be it by carrying material or helping out with the kids. 

All in all, everyone slowly but surely settled in a routine. It didn’t take too long for the E-Class students to gain a certain rhythm and, while a tad awkward at first, they grew more and more confident in handling the tasks given. Handling those different responsibilities made them mature in a way they couldn’t have in their classroom. They learned a different type of lesson, gaining experience and confidence as the days went by.

“Aa? What do you mean, Nagisa isn’t here?”

Unfortunately, not all of those lessons were fun to learn.

Ame’s smile twitched at the bratty attitude. “As I said, Sakura-chan, he couldn’t come today because he’s sick. That’s why I’ll help you out for today.”

“Tche,” scoffed the child, crossing her arms over her chest. “I guess it doesn’t really matter. It’s not like I _want_ to go back to school.”

“Ooh?” Ame considered her for a moment. “Let me guess: bullies?”

Her silence was enough of an answer. Shaking her head, the girl then got an idea. Gesturing for the kid to follow her, she then led her outside. 

“Do you know what the E-Class is?” she asked as they started walking around.

“… no?”

“It’s the class for losers,” stated calmly Ame. Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, startled, but the teen kept on walking. “The pit of the misfits, the failures, the rejects—the End Class, as they call it on the main campus. We’re the bad crop. And do you know what that means?”

Sakura shook her head in a negative gesture, somewhat stunned by the blunt honesty of the older girl. Her face drew a small, bitter smile on Ame’s lips.

“We’re bullied very often,” she pursued. “The students in the other classes keep on kicking us down and making us feel weak, miserable and helpless. They love humiliating us, so they never pass up an opportunity to show us up.”

“That’s awful,” huffed Sakura, pale. Her hands were trembling slightly. “How can you stand going to back to that place if it’s so terrible? If they treat you so badly?”

“Because I found something worth fighting for.”

Ame stopped walking, tilting her head back to fully look at Sakura. The child seemed at a loss, obviously not understanding what the black-haired teen was getting at.

“I fight for my friends. I find the strength to stand up against those bullies thanks to them,” she explained softly. “We’ve been through a lot together, you see? We have each other’s back. Thanks to our teacher, we regained our pride and our confidence, and when the other students tried to push us around? We started pushing back.”

“W- what’d you do…?” she couldn’t help but ask, somewhat in awe.

“We showed them we were strong,” grinned Ame, pumping her fist in the air. “We showed them we weren’t going to stand for it any longer. We worked hard, poured sweat and blood in our studies, made the efforts necessary so we could face them head-on. And yeah, we did get kicked around a few times more. But you know what? We got a few kicks in too. We won bets, we won games, we won festivals… We even beat them at the finals in the last term! And while it was far from easy, we all refused to simply give up.”

“But- but I don’t have that kind of strength!” then protested Sakura, seemingly about to cry out of frustration. “I don’t even have friends! What’s the point if I’ve got nothing to fight for?”

“You don’t have to find that right now,” assured Ame, patting her head. “You just need a little more confidence to do what must be done. You don’t _have_ to be afraid, Sakura-chan. Their words will only hurt you if you let them.”

“But I’m not even _good_ at school…”

She was grasping at straws, now, that much was obvious. Understanding she still needed a little push, Ame pulled out her phone and started looking through her pictures. The device had also drawn the little girl’s attention.

“Eh? Why’s that thing so beat up?” she remarked, pointing at one of the numerous dents. “It’s so old!”

“Still useful, though,” replied Ame, before showing her her screen. “Here, look.”

Confused and curious at the same time, Sakura, however, did as told. It took her a few moments to realize she was looking at a picture of the results of the last midterm.

_ Naoki Ame _

_ Overall score: 121 _

_ Ranked 184th of 186 _

“Eh!?” Sakura looked at the phone, then at Ame, then at the phone again, then back to Ame. “You were almost dead last!?”

“I _was_ dead last, actually,” corrected the girl, now amused. “The other two students dropped out before the exams. One way or another, though, I ended up dead last in the midterms. Let me tell you, when I saw this… I felt like an utter failure. It was bitter and unpleasant and I hated it and almost wanted to give up… but I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because if I did, I knew there would be no turning back,” she shrugged. “And, well, having hit rock-bottom, the only way to go was up, right? So, I decided to change things. I decided to put in actual efforts, to study as much as I could and work it out to the best of my abilities. _This_ is the result of my dedication and hard work.”

She showed the girl another picture, this time of her finals.

_ Naoki Ame _

_ Overall score: 408 _

_ Ranked 91st of 184 _

“Whoa!” gasped Sakura. “You went way up!”

“I know, right?” chuckled Ame. “But I only managed to do that because I was motivated. And, well, I had people helping me out, too. I’ve always hated asking for help, you know? But I’ve slowly started to understand that, sometimes, you can’t do things on your own. That’s why you need people to support you, be it a friend, a parent or a teacher. Don’t you have someone like that? Someone that you don’t want to let down, no matter what?”

“… Matsukata-sensei, I guess,” admitted the child, rubbing the back of her head. “He’s always trying to help me, even though I keep causing trouble for him.”

Ame nodded, smiling a little. “I understand giving up is the easiest choice but, sometimes, the easiest choice isn’t the best. You need to push your limits, even if only by a little. Like, why not start by actually studying? Forget about going back to school for now: focus on catching up. Imagine how proud of you Matsukata-sensei would be if you gave it your best! Give yourself small, attainable goals and, before you know it, you’ll have reached the top. Got it?”

“… yeah.” Her voice was more subdued, now, if not a little shaky. “Yeah, I think I got it.”

The black-haired girl nodded, satisfied. She settled down on the grass, deciding to enjoy the bit of fresh air while Sakura thought over what she said and let her words sink in. After a few minutes of silence, the pink-haired girl looked back at the teen.

“Ne, Ame?”

“Hm?”

“… can you help me out? Please?”

Ame smiled yet again. “With pleasure.”

* * *

_._

_._

_Two weeks later_

To say the old man Matsukata was shocked by the drastic transformation of the pre-school building would be an understatement. He was utterly flabbergasted by the change, if not a little creeped out. But who could blame him, really? He had left behind a decrepit building that was literally falling to pieces, only to come back and find a two-story, remodeled pre-school that could almost pass off as a resort for children. But of course, no matter how impressed or terrified the man was, there was one important detail he couldn’t let go so easily.

“You can bring all these _things_ up to scratch, but if you didn’t get in close to the children’s hearts, then I can’t say you’ve done your job during these two weeks,” he stated firmly.

Everyone looked a little tensed, but Ame was confident they had won over the kids’ hearts a long, long while ago. But how were they supposed to prove it? They—

“Oi, Nagisa!” Out of nowhere, the little Sakura arrived, practically shoving a paper in the blue-haired boy’s face. “Ta-da! I came in second!”

“Whoa, that’s great! Well done!” praised Nagisa, overjoyed.

“I did just what you said!” assured the child, grinning. “I came in only for my math test, like a sneak attack. I finished the test and left!”

“And in the middle of a test, the bullies couldn’t do a thing,” concluded the boy, happy.

“Yeah! Apart from the teacher, I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving!” she beamed.

Nagisa grinned at that. “Using your best attack _before_ your opponent can get in position: that’s how _we_ fight in the E-Class, Sakura-chan. Keep on using those hit-and-run tactics and you’ll have more weapons at your disposal in school.”

“Ne, Nagisa… You’ll teach me again sometime, right?” she asked, almost pleadingly. 

“Of course!”

They exchanged a grin, before Sakura ran up to Ame, showing her the results of her test. Ame smiled, patting her head. She felt proud of her, she really did.

“Good job, Sakura-chan,” she praised. “How do you feel?”

“Pumped up!” exclaimed cheerfully the younger girl. “I’ll show them what I’ve got, just like you and the E-Class did!”

“Atta girl!” laughed Ame, ruffling her hair. She then leaned closer, all secretive. “And if those brats try to mess with you again, just give me a call, alright? I’ll take care of them.”

“Right!”

“Somehow, the thought of Ame beating up middle-school children isn’t all that surprising,” sweatdropped Maehara.

“You brats…” All attention shifted back to Matsukata, who seemed resigned. “I can’t come up with a single complaint.”

“Oh, welcome back, Matsukata-sensei!” greeted happily Sakura. “Look at this!”

“Good job, Sakura-chan,” he nodded, smiling softly. He then turned a sharp look at the E-Class students. “You all run back to school, now. You have some important work to attend to, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir!”

The teens all left with smiles on their faces, unaware their joy was only of short notice.

* * *

.

.

To say the midterms had been a disaster was putting it mildly. It was an absolute massacre during which most of the E-Class students got kicked off the podium and out of the top slots, and it was easy to read the despair written all over their faces. 

“Ugh, I can’t believe this happened…” sighed heavily Okajima.

“This was awful,” agreed Sugino. “I’m beat!”

Nagisa simply nodded in agreement, just as tired. 

“Eh? What a let-down.” At the voice, the three of them stopped in their tracks, only to find the Big Five smirking at them. It was Araki who had spoken. “Guess that first time was just a fluke, uh?”

“We didn’t even _need_ to smash you at pole-toppling!” taunted Koyama. The boys gritted their teeth, making his smirk widen. “What, cat got your tongue? That’s not surprising.”

“At this school, grades are everything,” arrogantly pointed out Sakakibara. “Those on the bottom have no right speaking to those at the top.”

“Eh, really? Then you can’t say anything to me, now, can you?”

At the taunting voice, the students stiffen, turning around to find none other than Akabane Karma standing behind them, with Naoki Ame right beside him. 

“Though, I guess our teacher will probably be like ‘ _it doesn’t count if you didn’t come in first’,_ or something like that,” then mused the red-haired boy. He looked back at the Big Five. “Hasn’t it dawned on you? I’m the only one who gave it my all this time around. Everyone else was pulling their punches for you. They said you’d have no standing if you kept on losing.”

“Say what!?” snapped Araki, obviously pissed off.

“Ugh, you done gloating already?” grunted Ame, running a hand through her hair. Herself had ended up 81st, so she wasn’t all that bothered. “Why don’t you just tell them the truth?”

“Truth…?” echoed Gakushu, mildly curious.

“We were forbidden from studying for our midterms,” she shrugged, not really caring about sharing that tidbit of information. “The reasons would be beyond your comprehension, but I can explain this much for you: we didn’t study at all, yet we _all_ managed to stay in positions under the hundred. Not all that bad, right?” Her eyes then sharpened slightly—dangerously. “Mark my words, though: next time around, there’ll be no stopping us. We _will_ crush you.”

“Now who’s gloating, uh?” snorted lowly Karma.

She grinned, before turning to the other three boys. “You guys coming? My grandmother made us some dango to cheer everyone up.”

“Sweet!” exclaimed Okajima, quickly coming after them. 

“Well, they _are_ the best,” mused Sugino, following after him.

“Hopefully, Terasaka-kun will leave some for us,” joked Nagisa, hot on his heels.

And without another look back, the E-Class students left the campus with their heads held high and their smiles still firmly held in place, leaving behind some more than pissed off assholes.

* * *

.

.

“We’re so sorry for all the trouble, Karasuma-sensei,” apologized Isogai.

“All in a day’s work. Don’t worry about it,” assured the man with a sigh. “What about you? Have you learned anything from this?”

Everyone exchanged some unsure glances at that. Sure, they had learned a lot, but there was too much of it to put in a few words.

“It’s not for our own money, or our grades,” then stated Nagisa. “It reminded me that we can use the strength we’ve gained for others, too. If we have the power to kill, we can save the Earth. If we have academic ability, we can help someone.”

“And we won’t use it so carelessly again,” promised Okajima. 

“We’ll be careful—in lots of ways,” assured Maehara.

“I learned something new, too!” added Ame, grinning. “Did you know that Korosensei is really easy to blackmail?”

That made the class laugh, all tension finally vanishing from the group. Irina chuckled, and it even made Karasuma smile slightly.

“Well, now that that’s settled…” He pulled something out of his pocket, before throwing it at Isogai, who easily caught it: it was a key. “Go get changed. It’s time for a field test.”

“Field test?” repeated Rio, confused. “For what?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

* * *

.

.

“Now, then… Time for a little BBQ with the _foie gras_ I bought on the sly at a French farmer’s market!” cheered Korosensei.

He had exiled himself in the deepest part of the forest to enjoy his food without the interference of his precious students. Assassination was all well and good, but he could appreciate some peace and quiet from time to time.

“Time to eat! Niryufufufu!”

Just as he was about to grab one of the sticks, though, none other than Rio literally fell from the sky, landing on the barbecue grill. Korosensei was quick to catch all of the sticks before they could fall to the ground, genuinely startled by the sudden entrance of his student.

“W- where the heck did you come from!?” he exclaimed.

“Wow! That much of a drop and it didn’t hurt a bit!” remarked the blonde, in awe.

At the same time, hidden snipers started firing at the octopus. Forced to avoid the rain of bullets, Korosensei failed to notice all of the students gathering around him until it was too late.

“W- what is all this?” he protested. “I barely have time to breathe!”

“We wanted you to see this, Korosensei!” answered Isogai.

“It’s new equipment from the government,” explained Karasuma, stepping out of hiding. “I told them not to tip their hand, but they really wanted to show you how they use their new powers.”

“We’ll respond to your lessons with an assassination,” stated Terasaka, serious. “It’s how we do things around here.”

“We promise, Korosensei!” added Kataoka. “We won’t use this power except to protect someone.”

After a moment, the octopus’s face turned orange. “You get full marks for that answer. When I first came, I found only some stagnant bloodlust here and there in the classroom. There was little danger of being assassinated, but it was a cold space. Now, though… the whole campus is bubbling over with genial bloodlust! It’s perfect! It’s— _whoa!”_

He barely avoided the needle flying at him, which embedded itself in the stone behind him. It took the octopus a moment to realize the needle was actually made of hardened Anti-Sensei fibers. 

“You done ranting, Korosensei?” grinned Ame, already spinning a knife between her fingers. “We’ve come to show off our skills, you know? You shouldn’t let your guard down so easily.”

“Ah, yes. You are right,” mused the teacher. “From here on out, it would seem I will have to take you all very seriously. You’ve truly grown into superb assassins, haven’t you?”

At that, the E-Class could only grin proudly in return, already readying knives and guns for the oncoming attack.


	27. Twenty-Seventh Period: Revelations Time

“Come on, girls, keep it up! We’ve almost reached the classroom, you know?”

“Damn it!”

Rio lunged at her, intent on bringing her down, but Ame easily avoided her and jumped in another tree, gaining an even higher ground than before. The blonde cursed yet again. If they kept this up, they wouldn’t be able to grab the scarf and Ame would win again! After so many months of training, the thought truly didn’t sit well with her—or any of the girls, for that matter.

“Yah!” yelled Fuwa, pouncing on Ame.

The black-haired girl jumped yet again to avoid her, smirking smugly. The smirk however quickly disappeared when she realized she was about to land smack in the middle of a trap. She twisted her body and managed to grab a lower branch, kicking her feet up just in time to avoid being grabbed by Kataoka. Exhaling in relief as she pulled herself up, she almost failed to notice the hand reaching out for her through the leaves above her head.

Keyword: almost.

“Not so fast!” she grinned.

Grabbing Hayami’s forearm, she didn’t hesitate and threw her down. The orange-haired girl landed on the ground below with a grunt, the new equipment absorbing the impact and preventing her from actually getting injured from the fall.

“Ooh? I see the building!” taunted Ame. Only a few more meters and they’d be there. “Time to wrap this up, don’t you think?”

“No way!”

Kurahashi suddenly started climbing the tree. Some rustling from above also grabbed Ame’s attention, and she suddenly noticed Okano. She narrowed her eyes when also realizing the only branches she could possibly grab were all occupied by Kayano, Kanzaki, Yada and Hazama respectively. Below, Hara and the rest of the girls were eagerly waiting for her to fall.

_They’re trying to force me back on firm ground!_

Well, she refused to go down so easily. As the girls grew closer and closer, Ame braced herself… before leaping. Startled gasps followed as she quite literally crashed in the trunk of the tree farther down but, uninjured, Ame managed to hang on before pulling herself back up. She then turned around, grinning a tad arrogantly.

“Not bad, girls, but you’ve got to cover _all_ possibilities when trying to corner an opponent,” she teased and advised at the same time.

Much to her surprise, though, all of the girls grinned back. Before she could ponder over it for even a second, two arms suddenly latched themselves around her neck. The sudden added weight threw her off balance and her grip loosened, sending the both of them crash on the forest’s floor. Ame groaned, the breath slightly knocked out of her.

“O- Okuda… what the hell…?”

“S- sorry, Ame-san! But- but I think we won!” apologized the bespectacled girl.

“Uh?”

It took Ame a moment to realize Okuda (who was the one who had taken her by surprise) had, during their fall, managed to take a hold of the scarf tied around her belt—clearly claiming their victory. Realizing this, the rest of the girls instantly started cheering. Gracefully accepting her loss, Ame let her head hit the ground with a sigh, but a small smile was dancing on her lips.

“Good job, girls,” she congratulated, panting a little. “Guess you _did_ cover all of the possibilities, uh?”

“It was Okuda-chan’s idea!” grinned Rio, ruffling Okuda’s hair. “And we finally caught you! That calls for a celebration, doesn’t it?”

“Ooh, I know!” exclaimed Kurahashi, growing excited. “How about we all go shopping together after school? It’ll be fun!”

“Well, the midterms _are_ over, so we don’t have any urgent studying right now,” mused Takaoka.

“I don’t think we ever really hung out together outside of school before, did we?” wondered Hara.

“Well, other than training or renovating buildings, not really,” confirmed Okano. 

“And that doesn’t count ‘cause the boys were with us. We need a girls’ outing!” added Fuwa.

Ame, however, frowned slightly. “I don’t know, girls… There’s still the matter of the target on my back. Going out in public isn’t the safest idea right now.”

“Well, how about we all think over it today and we talk some more about it after school?” suggested Yada. 

“Great idea!” beamed Kayano. 

“Well, we _do_ have to get to class,” pointed out Hayami. “Let’s go, else we’ll be late.”

Rio helped Ame back on her feet before slinging an arm around her neck, grinning triumphantly. The black-haired girl shook her head, amused and exasperated at the same time. There was no doubt that this victory would quickly get to Rio’s head if it hadn’t already. To be honest, though, she couldn’t really bring herself to feel bitter about it. Just seeing how genuinely proud and happy her friend was warmed Ame’s heart.

“Everyone!” The girls stopped as Maehara, Sugino, and Karma suddenly joined them. The flirt seemed to be planning something. “Did you know that it was Bitch-sensei’s birthday four days ago?”

“Eh? For real?” wondered Kurahashi.

“That’s right! She mentioned it once!” recalled Kataoka.

“What about it?” wondered Rio, confused.

“Well, we thought it’d be a good opportunity to try and bring her and Karasuma-sensei closer, if you see what I mean,” grinned Maehara. 

“I’m out,” instantly decided Ame, going on ahead. 

“W- what? You didn’t even hear us out!” protested the flirt.

“I can do a lot of things, Maehara, but emotional manipulation isn’t my cup of tea,” she replied flatly. “If you want so badly for them to get together, don’t go at it in an underhanded way. It’ll end up hurting someone.”

Her friends could only watch her leave, surprised by her words. In the end, though, they decided to go along with the plan. They could understand the logic behind her thoughts but, really, what harm could it do? They only wanted to make their precious teachers happy, after all.

* * *

The girls’ shopping escapade was thus replaced with the matchmaking schemes and Ame left school as soon as class was over and done with. She wouldn’t stop them if they wanted to do it this badly, but she sure as hell wasn’t getting involved. As she was walking down the mountain, though, she received a message from Hana.

**“Something came up so I can’t come and fetch you. Wait for Ondori and Same.”**

\- **H**

The orange-eyed girl scowled at that. She’d have to endure two out of the three members that couldn’t stand her? Just peachy. However, it’s not like she was stupid enough to run off on her own either. With what had happened during the mission with Inu and Samon, she needed to be even more cautious. Saru hadn’t said anything about it after he spoke with Samon, but Ame could easily tell something fishy was going on: there was a traitor in their midst who wanted her _dead_.

_It’s crazy. We’ve all known each other for years, or even decades! To think someone would betray us… But for what? Money? Something more?_

She shook her head, chasing those roguish thoughts. She couldn’t let herself become blinded by suspicions. Any “evidence” they had of having a mole in their ranks was circumstantial, at best. She couldn’t allow herself to lose faith now, of all times.

Ame decided to wait on the outskirt of the campus, hidden by the leaves of one of the trees. She didn’t have to wait for long, thankfully: a familiar black car rolled in. A moment later, Ondori stepped out, quickly dialing what she guessed was her number. A deep scowl was adorning his face: he clearly wasn’t happy with the arrangement either.

She answered as soon as her phone rang. “I’m here.”

**“Then stop wasting time and come on already. I’ve got better things to do.”**

She rolled her eyes at the attitude but jumped down from the tree and quickly headed toward the car. The man shot her a heavy glare as she climbed in, which she was quick to return, and they then left as quickly as he came.

“Where’s Same?” she asked, curious.

“Ahead of us. He’s scanning the perimeter,” answered shortly Ondori. He glared at her yet again through the mirror. “You sure are a pain in the ass, aren’t you? Can’t even walk home on your own…”

“Well, how about we change places, uh? You get to have a bounty on your head and I get to be free from all this nonsense,” she retorted, annoyed. 

“Tche. You’re just too weak to handle it, aren’t you?”

“Considering I’m still alive, I’d say it’s the other way around,” she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I guess someone is just determined to put my head on a spike.”

That jab had been a shot in the dark, hoping he’d take the bait and react in a way that would confirm her suspicions. After all, even if she hated herself for doubting a fellow Zodiac member, she couldn’t deny Ondori was the most likely to want her dead. He hated her guts, after all. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of you), his glare didn’t lessen in the least and not a hint of doubt flashed through his gaze.

“It’s no wonder. You’re fucking annoying,” he simply replied. For once, though, there was no venom in his voice. “Still can’t find that someone, then?”

“If we did, I wouldn’t be a living target anymore,” she pointed out, sighing heavily. “But I guess it’s just as Hana said after all.”

“Oh?”

“We either make the rules or break them.” She grinned at that. “Some people are bound to hate us for that, don’t you think?”

He snorted. “Obviously.”

After what, neither of them said another word, content to end the more or less civil conversation. They were far from at peace, but both were too tired for an all-out war right now.

* * *

.

.

“It went just as you said.”

“What did?”

“Bitch-sensei figured out the plan and stormed out,” resumed Itona, not looking up from his video game. “She seemed pretty upset.”

“Understandable,” huffed Ame, checking one of her knives. It seemed a little blunt, and it barely drew any blood when she pressed it against her finger. “No one likes to be manipulated, you of all people should know that, right?”

“Aa. Do you think she left for good?”

“Doubtful.” Ame started looking around for her sharpener. “She’s too proud for that. I can’t say there won’t be consequences, though. Ever since she got here, she’s been opening up to us. My guess is that she’ll put back on the assassin mask to better deal with her emotions. It might be a while before she comes back to normal.”

“I see.”

“What I _don’t_ see is my sharpener,” grunted the girl, still looking. “Where is it?”

“Behind the curtains,” answered Itona without missing a beat.

“What?” She went to check and, just as told, it was there. She was confused, though. “Why was it behind the curtain?”

“You put it there to hide it from Kiba when he barged into the room the other day,” shrugged the boy, still caught up in his game. 

“Oh, right…” She then remembered something else. “By the way, you shouldn’t play for an extended period of time with that game.”

At that, he did look up from the game to report his attention to her. “Why?”

“Because it’s really old, and it tends to—“ The screen suddenly turned black, and she sweatdropped. “—crash. It tends to crash.”

“… does that mean I have to start over again?”

“Yes.”

“Damn it.”

* * *

.

.

Three days had passed since the failed matchmaking, and Irina had yet to come back to school, which greatly worried the students. If Ame had been a little smug at first about being right, she was now starting to wonder if she should ask Usagi to look into it. After all, it truly was out of character for their teacher to simply up and leave like that. Sure, she enjoyed dramatics but, if she wanted to leave, she’d do it with a bang. So, for her to simply vanish like that…

“Day three, uh?” sighed Maehara, leaning back in his seat.

“Maybe we went too far,” frowned Yada.

“Call me if anything happens with Irina-sensei,” demanded Korosensei, heading for the window. For one reason or another, his skin had taken the colors of a soccer ball. “I’ve got to get to Brazil to take in a soccer match!”

“Oh, wait!” Ame jumped to her feet, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Can you drop me off on the way? I, too, have a game to catch.”

“Of course! I don’t mind!”

“A game?” repeated Rio, surprised. “I didn’t know you liked watching sports. I thought you’d rather play them.”

“I do,” nodded her friend. “But it’s my brother’s basketball game. It’s important for him, so I want to cheer him on.”

“Oh, it’s tonight?” realized Itona. “I thought it was next week.”

“It was, but they moved it up earlier for one reason or another,” shrugged Ame. “Anyway, you don’t have to come. I know you’ve been busy with catching up with the class.”

“Aa. Wish him good luck for me.”

“Will do!” She waved as Korosensei wrapped his tentacles around her so they could move safely at Mach speed 20. “Later guys!”

“Bye-bye!”

And they were gone in a flash. The rest of the students started pondering over the assassin’s location. Unfortunately, she wasn’t answering her phone, and she didn’t appear on the GPS or any public camera surveillance. Ritsu had also asked Usagi for some help already, but the man hadn’t managed to find anything.

“She wouldn’t leave over something like this, would she?” wondered Chiba.

“That’s not it. There’s still something you need her to do,” pointed out the flower-selling clerk they had met earlier that day.

“Right? And besides, it’s fun having her around,” remarked Okano.

“Yes, you’ve bonded nicely, you and her,” nodded the man, coming to stand at the front of the class. “My preliminary research has already verified that much. All I’ll do is exploit that.”

A moment of silence followed that statement. It took the students a few seconds to realize what was wrong with the situation: why was the flower-selling clerk in their classroom? He had walked in so casually none of them had noticed he wasn’t even supposed to be there. 

“I’m the assassin known as the Reaper,” he introduced himself with a pleasant smile. “And now I have a lesson for you all.”

“What the…”

“This guy…”

“A flower’s beauty negates human caution and opens the heart,” stated the assassin with a soft smile. “Just like I told you guys, Nagisa-kun. But the original reason flowers evolved to be lovely and fragrant—“

‘TLING’ Ritsu had received a message.

“Ritsu-san, bring up the image I sent you,” asked nicely the man. 

She did as told. A moment later, on the screen appeared a picture that sent chills running down their spines: Irina was lying on the ground, barely clothed and tied up like an animal being sent to the butcher. 

“—was to attract insects,” concluded the Reaper. He started outlining the woman on the board. “I’ll cut to the chase: if you want to keep her alive, you must all come to the location I specify—and not a word to your teachers. You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I can send her to you.” He finished drawing ominous lines over the drawn body. “To each of you, equally, in little pieces. And my next flower will likely be one of you.”

“Oi, now, buddy…“ Terasaka stepped up, gritting his teeth. “We have no real obligation to save that bossy bitch. Plus, did you think we wouldn’t give you a beating right here, you kidnapper?”

“That’s incorrect, Terasaka-kun,” replied the Reaper, unbothered. “Wrong on all counts. You all like her more than you think. Also, a human could never cut down the Reaper.” He suddenly threw the flower bouquet he had brought in the air, petals scattering around and blinding everyone. “Fear not. The Reaper only cuts people down.”

And before any of them could do anything, he was gone, leaving behind him scattered petals, shell-shocked students and a map with a message written on the back.

“ _Come as a class to the location on the map before 6:00 pm tonight_ ,” read Isogai, frowning. 

“Just like with Takaoka and Shiro,” realized Chiba. “They must be looking to take us hostage and draw out Korosensei.”

Sugino slammed his fist on his desk. “Damn it!”

A silence ensued, none of them knowing what to do or say. It’s not like they had much of a choice in the matter, either. If they didn’t go as told… then what would happen to their teacher?

“Should I call Ame?” then asked Rio, staring at her phone in worry. “He said to come as a class, but she’s at that basketball game right now… Should I tell her to come with us?”

“She still has that bounty on her head,” recalled Karma, still a tad shaken by the appearance of the Reaper. “If she comes with us, he’ll surely kill her. She’s just under Korosensei when it comes to people the government wants dead the most, after all.”

“Don’t contact her,” decided Isogai, sighing heavily. “If worst comes to worst, she’ll understand there’s a problem and will come with Korosensei.”

“But how would she find us?” wondered Yada.

“Ritsu.” All eyes turned to the purple-haired program as Maehara called out to her. “If things go south, then send her the location and the picture immediately. She’ll understand.”

“Got it!” 

“So we’re really doing this, uh?” Terasaka ran a hand through his hair, annoyed. “In that case, should we take these?”

Most were surprised when seeing him pull out the new equipment and uniforms given to them by the government. Was it really okay to go armed and ready to fight?

“To protect someone, uh…?” Rio rose to her feet, deadly serious. 

“Greatest assassin or not, we won’t let his plan go off without a hitch!” assured the ruffian, pumped up. “Right!?”

On that, the others could only agree. If they had to play this sick game, then it’d be by their rules and no one else’s.

* * *

Ame enjoyed the basketball game, and Kiba greatly appreciated her coming all the way to his school to cheer him on. He knew she had been busy with school and work lately, so it made him feel better knowing she still had some time for him and the others. 

“Great game, Kiba!” praised the girl, ruffling his hair. 

“I know, right?” he boasted smugly. “I was so pumped up! This big guy was blocking the way but I managed to bypass his defense and _bam_! Did you see it? That throw was amazing!”

“You’re so full of it,” snorted Ame. She then nudged him toward the door. “Go get changed, quickly. Obaa-san is waiting for us outside.”

“Right!”

The boy rushed to the locker room, eager to speak of his exploits during the game to their caretaker. While he got changed, Ame checked her phone. There were no messages from the Zodiac, meaning no job for tonight, and she didn’t have any missed calls.

_So why do I have such a bad feeling…?_

Because ever since she left the classroom earlier with Korosensei, her stomach had been twisting in knots. She had the distinct feeling _something_ had happened, but she didn’t know _what._ She had checked her phone many times during the game, but nothing. If something had happened, surely one of her classmates would have warned her, right?

_Well, can’t hurt to make sure._

Grabbing her phone, she quickly dialed Rio’s number and waited for the girl to answer.

* * *

.

.

In the end, things _had_ gone south. Unfortunately, Ritsu had been hacked and refused to help out the students by warning either Korosensei or even Ame. They had managed to escape the cell at first, but the Reaper had quickly caught up to them and knocked them out one after the other like useless flies. Much to their horror, Irina also proved herself to be a traitor and had helped him capture them. They were now back in a cell, handcuffed and unable to call for help.

“I don’t know how you’re going to try killing Korosensei, but will it really all go according to plan?” wondered Karma in his usual taunting tone.

“No matter how poor my intel is, I’ll still get results,” assured Reaper, obviously unbothered by the taunts. “That’s the world’s best assassin for you—hm?”

He frowned at his phone, before showing whatever it was to Irina, whose eyes widened.

“Karasuma?” she murmured.

Instantly, relief washed over the students. If Karasuma was there, then surely Korosensei was too, and both of them would surely be able to put up a fight and free them.

“How did he know?” mused Reaper, genuinely surprised.

“The octopus,” shrugged Itona, as calm as ever. “He said if there was ever a wall his students couldn’t get over, then it’d be his turn.”

“… a tad annoying, but nothing I hadn’t prepared for,” remarked the pro assassin. “Though it’s a shame, considering we’re still short on one special guest.”

“Uh?”

Reaper offered the students a pleasant smile. “Why, did you think I wouldn’t notice you were missing someone? I have gathered quite a lot of information on all of you, and it’s all thanks to that person, after all.”

“W- what do you mean?” Kayano dared to ask, worried at what he was implying. “Are you saying that- that Ame-chan turned on us!?”

“Oh, no, nothing of the sort,” chuckled the man. “She simply—“

**“TUT-TUTUTUTUTUT-TUT-TUTUTUTUT—“**

The assassin pulled out another phone from his pocket, and Rio gasped. “My- my phone!”

“Well, talking about the devil,” mused Reaper. “Give me a moment, would you?”

The students could only watch with growing confusion and horror as the man accepted the call and put the phone on speaker so they could all hear the following conversation.

 **“Rio?”** That was definitely Ame’s voice. **“Is everything alright? Did you find anything about Bitch-sensei?”**

The blonde was about to answer but the gun suddenly pointed at her face made the warning die on her lips. She went pale, staring at the barrel in shock, frozen by terror. The rest of the students stiffened, instantly understanding the message: if they said a single word, they’d pay a heavy price.

“Ame, it’s me,” then replied Reaper, a smile growing on his lips. “I just found that phone outside. Is there a problem?”

 **“Inu? W- what do you mean, outside?”** The students didn’t understand how or why the girl seemed to know Reaper. **“Where?”**

“I’m sending you the location. I’m afraid your friends might be in trouble,” he replied with fake concern. “I’ll scout the area to see if there’s any other clue as to their whereabouts.”

**“Please do. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Thanks, Inu!”**

“No problem.”

And he hung up, before reporting his attention on the stunned students, lowering his gun. Though, even Irina seemed shocked by the strange turn of events, so she probably hadn’t been made aware of that particular detail.

“Oh, didn’t you know?” Reaper chuckled yet again, though it was much darker this time around. “Ame and I work together.”

“This- this doesn’t make any sense!” protested Rio, pale. “She’s not an assassin!”

“Of course not. She doesn’t have what it takes to kill people,” he snorted, a tad derisively. “But she _is_ part of the show tonight. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for her to get here before getting any more answers, though.”

“If you don’t mind answering one more question…” Reaper reported his attention to Karma, who seemed pensive. “How’d you know which phone to pick? You were waiting for her to call, weren’t you?”

The assassin seemed pleased by the question. “Perceptive boy, aren’t you? Well, I know for a fact that outside of her colleagues and her grandmother, there are only three other people who have her number: you, Isogai-kun, and Nakamura-san. Since she’s closer to the later, it was easy to guess she’d be the one being called. Though, I gotta say, that’s quite the achievement! Ame doesn’t trust many people, after all. You ought to feel privileged, really.”

“This is crazy,” muttered Fuwa. “You talk as if- as if—“

“As if I’ve known her for years?” completed the man, amused. “That’s because I have. Though, as I said, you’ll get your answers later—well, probably. In the meantime, we should get ready to handle our two other guests.”

* * *

After talking to Inu, Ame received the location. It wasn’t far from Kiba’s school, so she’d be there in ten minutes at most. Thankfully, she had thought of bringing along her work uniform, just in case she received a surprise job. Sure, she wasn’t supposed to wear it for anything else than Zodiac business but, right now, it was better than rushing ahead wearing her school uniform. So, after waving goodbye to Kiba and her grandmother, she quickly left them to get changed. Once done, she re-checked the location once more before she started running.

 _I can’t contact Ritsu, so there must be a serious problem,_ she realized, jumping from one roof to the other. The sun had just set, so people wouldn’t notice her. _Karma and Isogai-kun aren’t answering either. I don’t have Karasuma-sensei’s number, nor Korosensei’s. This looks bad but there’s Inu, at least. I know I can count on him._

When she reached the given location, though, all she found was an empty area and an open door that seemed to lead underground. Frowning, she tried calling on Rio’s phone again but, this time, there was no signal. When she tried to contact Inu, he didn’t answer either.

 _Something’s definitely wrong. Should I contact the rest of the Zodiac? If Inu is missing…_ She shook her head. _No, there’s no time. I’ll just have to be careful._

So, on guard, she quietly made her way inside.

* * *

Somehow, Reaper had managed to capture Korosensei, who was now stuck in the cell behind bars made of anti-sensei material. Karasuma could only follow the assassin downstairs since Irina had yet to say a word after turning on them and he still didn’t fully understand who they were up against. Plus, he was now holding the students hostage, having attached bombs around their necks.

“Ooh?” Reaper smiled as he checked his phone. “Looks like she’s finally here.”

“Ame…!” gasped Rio. They had completely forgotten about her when Korosensei fell in the cell. “She’s gonna be captured too!”

“Captured?” repeated Reaper, surprised. He then started laughing. “I have no plans of capturing her. Why, she’ll be better off dead!”

They all froze at that. He couldn’t mean—

“You’re another after Naoki’s bounty, then?” Karasuma gritted his teeth. “You—“

“Everyone!”

Ame suddenly showed up, using another door. She had checked around to make sure no enemy was around but, when she saw all of her friends, teachers, and Inu together, she felt relieved.

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” she exclaimed, quickly running down the stairs. “But why are you stuck in a place like that? What happened? Oh, no matter. Inu! Come on, help me get them out of here!”

“Wait, Ame, he’s—“

The fired shot echoed loudly, bouncing off the walls and making everyone flinch. The silence that followed was intense, all eyes widening in shock as Ame suddenly collapsed to the ground, holding her side. Her cry of pain was even more horrifying than the shot, though.

“AME!” panicked Rio.

“Damn it!” Karasuma tried to interfere, but Irina blocked off his path, her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing, Irina!?”

“Argh! D- damn it!” Ame tried to sit up, her face scrunched up in pain. Her gloves were already soaked in blood. “What the hell!?”

“I keep telling you, Ame,” sighed Reaper, charging his gun again as he slowly stalked toward her. “You need to watch your left side. You tend to leave it open.”

“I- Inu…?” She paled when seeing his gun. “What… what are you doing? What’s the meaning of this…?”

“You’ve been a thorn in my side for quite a while, Ame,” he replied, aiming his gun at her yet again. “At first I thought getting rid of you would be easy. You were just a brat, after all. Killing you should be a piece of cake, right? But, somehow, you managed to survive every single attempt on your life. Even when your bounty went up, you still managed to stay alive. That’s really frustrating, you know that?”

“… you’re the one who put up that bounty,” she realized, feeling nauseous. “You’re- you’re the traitor!?”

“Surprise,” he drawled. “Didn’t see it coming, did you?”

“But- but why?” She was starting to feel a little light-headed thanks to the blood still profusely flowing from her wound. “Why would you- why would you do this? I- I thought we were friends, damn it!”

“Friends?” He cocked his head in confusion. “I don’t have friends—only pawns. You were a pawn too, at first. That is, until you decided to get in my way.”

“I didn’t—“

“You were just a useless brat!” His temper rose, and he was suddenly angry. He roughly kicked her in the ribs, ignoring the yells and protests of the students. “He took you in out of _pity_ because you were so fucking _miserable!_ You were _nothing!_ But then he goes and decides to choose you? You over me!? A stupid kid over the greatest assassin in the world!?”

At that, Ame’s eyes widened in understanding.

::

_“Naoki Ame. Although he’s probably still waiting to tell you, I believe Saru has been training you to become the next leader of the Zodiac.”_

::

“… you want to become the leader of the Zodiac,” she realized, shaking a little. “That’s been your goal all along…?”

That seemed to calm him down somewhat. “So you _do_ know.”

That only sparked her own anger, though, and she somehow managed to find the strength to rise back to her feet.

“Are ya fucking mad!?” she snapped, her eyes blazing. “You’ve been trying ta have me killed for _months ‘_ cause ya decided ta throw a fucking jealousy fit!? ‘Cause Saru supposedly chose me as his successor instead of ya!?”

“I’ve sacrificed too many things to get where I am now!” he snarled back, pointing his gun at her face. “I won’t let a stupid girl like you take it all away! Just die!”

“AS IF!”

She rammed into him like an enraged bull, throwing him off balance. She used the opportunity to kick the gun out of his grasp, making it slip farther away. Her victory was of short notice, though, as he harshly brought down his joined fists over her head, making her crash on the ground. She spat out some blood at that, having bit her tongue. He didn’t let her rest and harshly kicked her in the ribs once again, making them crack. More blood pooled out of her wound and while she tried to apply pressure over it, she could tell it wasn’t doing much. Easily noticing how out-of-strength she was, Inu grabbed her by the hair and threw her away as if she weighed no more than a feather. She harshly hit the bars of the cell, before collapsing yet again, completely out of it.

She wouldn’t be able to get up again.

“No, Ame!” Rio rushed to her side, trying to nudge her with her shoulder. “Come on, wake up!”

“You ought to worry about yourself some more,” then remarked Reaper, slowly walking up to them. “You see, I’m about to flood this place with water. This is a drainage canal. On my command from the control room up above, 200 tons of water per second will squeeze you into noodles against these bars.” He then crouched before Ame, who was still unconscious. “I would have liked to play around some more, but I guess there’s no time. I’ll leave her here. She’ll bleed out or drown, I don’t really care—as long as she dies.”

“Wait! Do you truly intend to kill the students, too?” then protested Karasuma, shoving Irina out of the way to reach Reaper and grab his shoulder. “You can’t be serious!”

“Of course!” smiled pleasantly the assassin, all traces of anger having vanished. “It’s too late to wait.”

“Irina! You knew as much, and yet…” 

“As a pro, I just prioritized results,” she replied coldly. “That’s all. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“True, it may be a little harsh…” Reaper shook off the agent’s hold. “Or should I let our best chance of saving the world slip away before our eyes? And you can’t really blame me about Ame: as an assassin, it’s in my right to kill any target I come across, right?”

“You’re a fraud!” instantly accused Rio, more than angry. “You’re the one who put that bounty in the first place! Had it not been for you—“

“It’s not like she never made enemies before,” shrugged the man. “She just so happened to make the mistake of having _me_ as one of them.”

“If you’re so skilled, then why didn’t you kill her yourself the first time around?” then asked Karma. They were trying to win some time, but he knew it wouldn’t last. “Why go through all the trouble of putting up a bounty and waiting for the results?”

“The organization we work for is well-versed in investigations and the likes. I would have been found out in the blink of an eye, and then I could kiss goodbye my ambitions,” he answered, obviously in a good mood. “But I guess I was fooling myself into thinking I could keep my hands clean. After all, as the saying goes: if you want a job done well, do it yourself. Right?”

“Actually, here’s how the government sees it.”

Before Reaper could react, Karasuma suddenly punched him in the face. He almost fell but managed to regain his balance, putting some distance between the two of them.

“The lives of twenty-eight people are weightier than the Earth,” stated firmly the agent. “If you still plan on killing them, too… I’ll stop you.” He took off his jacket, revealing the guns hidden underneath. “And I’ll tell you this, Irina: being a pro isn’t quite so carefree.”

“If it takes too long to kill Karasuma, my plans will come apart,” then remarked Reaper, his tone a tad more somber. “And so…”

Without warning, he took off. He was fast, faster than anyone anticipated, and he managed to flee the tunnel before anyone could see him. Karasuma cursed, instantly running after him.

“W- wait! Karasuma-sensei!” called Korosensei. “Turn on your transceiver!”

But the man was already gone.

“Mmph. How rash.” Irina easily took off the fake bomb attached to her neck. “Karasuma may stand apart from others… but _he_ goes even further. Just look at how easily he trapped that octopus—“

“Bitch-sensei!” Rio exclaimed, tears in her eyes. “I don’t care about whatever’s happening right now, just help Ame! Please!”

At that, the woman lowered her eyes to the unconscious, bleeding teen lying on the ground. She was losing a lot of blood and she probably suffered from a concussion too. Right at that moment, the blonde beauty _did_ feel a twinge of guilt. She knew that, if the girl survived this ordeal, her injuries wouldn’t be the worst she’d have to deal with: it’d be the harsh and bitter pain of betrayal. It was a pain she could understand easily, even empathize with.

It wasn’t a pain Irina could take away, though.

 **“Irina.”** Reaper was contacting her trough the transceiver. **“I’ve set up a trap. While Karasuma is fiddling with him, shoot him from behind.”**

“… understood.”

Without another look back, she too left the canal.

“Damn it!” Rio started banging against the bars. “Ame? Ame! Wake up, damn it!”

“Ugh… so noisy…” mumbled the girl, struggling to open her eyes.

“You’re gonna be okay, alright? Just hang in there!” pleaded the blonde.

At that, her friend offered her a weak smile. “As if… as if I’d die… so easily…”

At the same time, numerous explosions started echoing around. Then, a bigger one made the entire canal shake on its foundations. Korosensei, who had been trying to get through to Karasuma, finally managed to connect their transceivers.

“I finally got through!” he exhaled in relief. “What was that explosion?”

**“I’m all right, but Irina ‘s trapped under the debris. I don’t have time for that, though. I’m going after the Reaper—“**

“You can’t!” instantly protested Kurahashi, taking a hold of the walkie-talkie. “Why won’t you help her, Karasuma-sensei?”

**“Kurahashi… Irina partnered with the Reaper to get results in her own way. A real pro accepts her own responsibility.”**

“What’s being a pro has to do with it?” insisted the girl. “I know this is coming from a fifteen-year-old girl… but Bitch-sensei is only twenty-one! Growing up in an environment with no peace of mind, she probably forgot to pick up some of the pieces along the way that would make her a grown-up. So please… rescue her, Karasuma-sensei. Just like you forgive us, students, when _we_ make mistakes.”

**“… alright.”**

Everyone sighed in relief at that, glad. Even though Irina had betrayed them, they knew better than to simply forsake her. After all, everyone made a mistake every once in a while—

“Wait,” gasped Fuwa, her eyes going wide. “Where’s Ame!?”

Because the girl was gone, leaving only a trail of blood behind her.

* * *

.

.

“Irina. Where’s Karasuma?”

The woman slightly tilted her head so she could look at Reaper. His form was obscured, so she couldn’t really see him, but he was oozing killing intent. 

“He was already gone when I came to,” she answered flatly. “That was awful of you, Reaper, blowing me up. too.”

“Yeah, sorry about that!” smiled the man. “I wouldn’t have been able to achieve my goal otherwise. Besides, our world is one of deceiving and being deceived.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. After all, I’m a bitch who hops from man to man,” replied pleasantly Irina.

His eyes widened, but it was too late. Karasuma grabbed him from behind before throwing both of them off the floor, and they started falling. There was the distinct sound of bodies hitting the water, but it didn’t take long for noises of the following battle to be heard.

“Man, you sure jump ship quickly, uh?”

Irina startled, her eyes snapping to Ame. “Na- Naoki! What the hell are you doing here?”

The girl let out a humorless chuckle. “As if I’d go down without a fight. He already got on my shit list for threatening you and everyone else, but now? Now, he managed to make it both business and personal.”

“So you really worked together,” understood Irina, narrowing her eyes. “The Zodiac… I had heard about it a few times from Lovro before, but I never thought you’d be a part of that legendary group. I wasn’t even sure it existed for real.”

“We like to stick to the shadows,” simply replied the teen. “And we like to stick together, too, though I guess Inu… no, I guess _Reaper_ never got the memo.”

“… you’ll have to tell your friends.”

“I know. Now’s not the time, though.” Ame started heading for the stairs, limping a little and still holding her side, though it was awkwardly bandaged and no longer bleeding. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss this fight. Oh, here!”

She threw a bottle at the woman, who easily caught it. “What is that?”

“Special pills made by our unique doctor. They replenish blood and energy, though you’ll crash in a few hours for at least a day after that,” explained the girl. “Give them back later, ‘kay?”

Before Irina could reply, the girl was already gone, which made her shudder a little. Now that she knew of their connection, she understood better why Reaper and Ame seemed to possess such similar skillsets.

* * *

When Ame finally got downstairs, it was only to find Reaper and Karasuma engaged in a harsh hand-to-hand battle. Both seemed evenly matched, and she couldn’t deny she was impressed. Of course, seeing the man she once considered her friend now fighting so he could kill her and her friends made her stomach churn, but she couldn’t deny his skills were greater than she anticipated. If she tried to take him head-on, she wouldn’t last half-a-minute.

 _I can still use his inattention to my advantage._ She went to hide behind one of the pillars, keeping a close eye on the fight. _I just need to wait for the right moment to strike!_

Grabbing one of her knives, she got into position, ready to jump into action. The two men were moving fast but, after getting used to Korosensei’s movements, they actually looked slow. Out of nowhere, though, they stopped exchanging blows and Reaper threw… a rose?

 _A distraction!_ Ame frowned as he lifted his hand toward Karasuma. _What is he—_

A gunshot followed. Her eyes went wide as she realized there was actually a gun hidden in his very finger. It had fired a small bullet, too small to cause any real damage, but she instantly noticed _where_ it had hit.

“The Reaper’s hidden scythe,” stated coolly the man. “Just a .10 caliber. Its minute bullets ass between muscle and bone to tear a hole in the aorta. The aorta’s bloodstream pressure widens that hole—” Blood suddenly burst out of Karasuma’s chest. “—until you die from major blood loss.”

As Karasuma collapsed to his knees and Reaper started lowering his finger, Ame didn’t think twice about it and threw her knife. It flew straight and fast, hitting its target dead on. A cry of pain followed as blood splattered around and tainted the water red, the man’s finger falling in it along with the knife.

“Damn it!” he cursed, instantly turning his glare to her. “You stupid girl… You just keep getting in my way!”

“Inu. When you turned on me, you broke the trust of the Zodiac,” she replied, calmly stepping out of her hiding place. She showed him her phone. “I already texted Saru to warn him. As we speak, measures are put into place so you can never come back. You know what that means, don’t you?”

“No!” The man instantly threw his own knives, though she easily avoided them. His aim wasn’t as true now that he was missing a finger. “Damn it! You’re lying!”

“As of today, you are no longer part of the Zodiac,” she announced clearly. “As of today, _you_ are the one with a target on your back.”

“DAMN YOU!!!”

She didn’t even flinch as he started running at her, his face scrunched up like a madman’s. Just as he reached her, Karasuma came at him from behind and harshly kicked him in the nuts. Letting out a yelp of pain, the assassin stumbled away.

“No- no way! How…” Through his teary eyes, he only then noticed the tentacle hanging over Karasuma’s shoulder, from which was leaking ‘blood’. “You were dummied up with _juice!?”_

“Ready, Reaper?” Karasuma moved to face him properly, and Ame was more than happy to leave the rest of the fight to him. “You messed with my precious students and colleagues.”

“W- wait! Who else could kill him, if not me!?” protested Reaper, now on the verge of panic. His nuts hurt like hell, he was still missing a finger, and he had given away his Ace: there was no way out of this. “I’m the best there is! No one else could—“

“Our classroom has all the skills we need!” On which Karasuma pounced forward and fully decked him in the face. The assassin collapsed, down for the count. “So why don’t you quit the killing game already? Your skills will come in handy at the employment office.”

Ame snorted at that. “You’re too cool for your own good, Karasuma-sensei.”

That earned her a small smile. “And you’re too reckless for your own good. Weren’t you shot?”

“Can’t you sound a _little_ more worried?” she huffed.

“If you’re still able to complain, I doubt there’s much to worry about.”

She rolled her eyes at that, but couldn’t deny it. Yagi’s pills were one of the greatest medicinal advances in the world and only he could make them. They accelerated the natural regenerative abilities of the body, allowing wounds of all sorts to closer faster. It also stopped injuries from bleeding out, numbed the pain and gave the user a boost of energy. Of course, as she’d explained earlier, she’d crash in an hour or two and wouldn’t wake up for a while but, once she did, she’d have no injuries to worry about. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be able to use one of those pills for at least six months afterward, so she’d have to be more careful from here on out.

“We should go meet up with the rest of the students,” then suggested Karasuma.

“Right. Just give me a minute.”

There was still a small detail she needed to take care of. Looking around, it didn’t take her long to find the finger she had cut off earlier. She picked it up and pulled off the ring without hesitation. The ring was made so that the only way to take it off was to cut off the finger since a needle passed through it to firmly attach the special jewelry to it. It was a way to ensure the members couldn’t lose it, no matter the situation. And, well, she couldn’t very well leave it here, either.

“That ring…” She startled as Karasuma arrived before her, eyeing the ring she was holding. “It’s the same as yours, isn’t it?”

“… yeah. I’ve got a lot of explaining to do, don’t I?”

“I believe it can wait ‘til tomorrow, at least,” replied the man with a sigh. He then picked up the unconscious Reaper, propping him on his back. “Let’s go.”

“Right.”

* * *

.

.

When they joined up with the rest of the class, they had already managed to free themselves from the cell. As soon as she saw Ame, Rio ran up to her and hugged her so tightly she almost suffocated the poor girl. Everyone was, of course, relieved to see that everyone was alright. It was obvious that they still had many questions, but they knew better than to ask them now. 

“The man had marvelous skills, but put too much faith in them,” stated quietly Karasuma, staring down at the unconscious Reaper lying on the floor. 

“Whoever influenced him was a fool,” sighed Korosensei, sounding almost like he was grieving. “He could have used his skills to follow a much straighter path.”

“Sparing people or killing them… It’s all up to the person and the world around them,” added the agent. 

“Exactly. Isn’t that right, Irina-sensei?”

The woman startled at being called out so suddenly. She had been hanging in the farther back, obviously too ashamed to face them properly. In fact, she had been trying to slip away before any of the teens could notice her.

…

…

…

“YOU BITCH!” Most of the students instantly started running after her. “What’s the big idea, trying to run away!?”

They easily caught up to her and forcefully dragged her back to the group. Holding her down so she couldn’t escape, and bringing her to her knees. At that, the woman grew angry.

“Argh! Just do whatever you want!” she cursed. “The boys with their usual pent-up animal lust, the girls with their usual envy of my beauty—just let it all out in an explosion of sexual violence!”

“Her ideas are getting wild,” sweatdropped Rio.

“She looks like a cornered animal,” added Ame, sharing the feeling.

“Look, just come to school like always,” then snapped Terasaka, shutting her up. “No more shirking your duties for days on end.”

“I’m dying to know more about that story—swindling Arabian royalty until you were on the brink of war!” mused Yada.

“If you don’t come back, I’ll just keep that French _Boys Over Flowers_ manga you lent me!” warned Kataoka.

“You do know I was _this_ close to killing you all, right?” replied Irina, frowning.

“Is that a problem?” however retorted Takebayashi. “Backstabbing, treachery… Isn’t that what makes you a bitch?”

“And if we can’t even enjoy school with a bitch, what are we doing being junior-high assassins, anyway?” added Rio, grinning.

“That’s how it is.” Karasuma suddenly walked up to her and handed over the rose Reaper had thrown away earlier. “This flower wasn’t borrowed from our students. I came by it intentionally, by defeating the enemy. Is that good enough for your birthday?”

“...” Irina seemed at a loss for word before she smiled softly—genuinely. “Yes.”

Relieved, the students started laughing and cheering a little. Ame snorted internally. Who knew the government agent could be such a smooth talker?

“Karasuma-sensei, a word before things take a turn for the racy?” then asked Korosensei.

“It definitely won’t, but please,” replied flatly the man.

“I don’t want the students involved in this kind of danger again,” he then demanded, his tentacles reaching out to pat each student on the head. “I must insist on an environment where we can safely kill and be killed.”

At that, Karasuma didn’t even hesitate. “I know. I’ll do all I can to ensure the students’ safety.”

They all exchanged smiles at that. After what, Korosensei took hold of Reaper, promising he’d be back as soon as he dropped him off at the nearest jail. The students then made their way outside, glad it was finally over. However, as soon as they returned to the surface, they found themselves surrounded by mysterious masked figures. The students instantly fell into a defensive position, while Karasuma quickly calculated the threat level.

_There are fourteen of them… Do their masks represent animals? I’ve never heard of—_

“Everyone, calm down.” All eyes snapped to Ame, who seemed resigned. “They’re with me.”

At that, one of the figures stepped forward. It was obviously a woman if the curves were anything to go by, with familiar red hair and a mask representing a snake.

“It’s good to see you safe,” she stated mildly. “We came as soon as we received your message.”

Ame nodded, before grabbing Inu’s ring and throwing it at another figure, who was wearing a monkey mask. The man caught it and nodded in understanding, gesturing for the others to fall back. At the signal, they started vanishing one after the other.

“We’re going back,” he announced blankly. “Kitsune?”

Ignoring the bewildered stares, from her friends, Ame pulled out her own fox mask and quickly put it on, before moving to join the group. At the last moment, though, she stopped walking.

“I promise I’ll explain everything when I come back,” she assured quietly. “And I _will_ come back. As soon as we’ve handled everything.” 

And without a sound, all of the masked people vanished, along with Ame.


	28. Twenty-Eighth Period: Secrets Out Time

Exactly thirty-six hours passed before Ame woke up. Due to the severity of her injuries, the special regenerative pill she had swallowed had taken quite the toll on her body. However, after a thorough examination, Yagi assured there’d be no lasting damage nor trauma from the gunshot wound. Her ribs were almost fully healed, and the bruises coating her arms and legs had already vanished. In the end, the only thing that he couldn’t treat was the trauma left by Inu’s betrayal.

However, now was not the time to grieve her friend’s treachery. Although he had been arrested, they couldn’t risk staying in the same place anymore. Thankfully, Saru had apparently been preparing something for a while, already aware that there was a traitor in their midst, and so brand-new headquarters had already been set up. While Ame was unconscious, all of the members worked tirelessly in order to move out the equipment, modify the drop points, change the usual routes, alert their contacts, replace the phones and their numbers, etc, etc. There was no doubt in their mind that, now that he had been caught, Inu—no, the Reaper would do his utmost to bring them down with him, and they certainly weren’t about to let him.

“Is there really nothing I can do to help?” Ame asked for the fourth time since she woke up.

“As I told you, there’s nothing more to do, brat,” grunted Yagi, putting away his medical supplies. “We’ve handled everything while you were in that semi-coma state. Still can’t believe that bastard actually shot you…”

“Yeah, me neither,” sighed Ame, still feeling a bit disoriented. “To think he’d turn on us like that… Ne, Yagi? Is it true? About… about Saru wanting me to—“

“He’s called for a meeting,” the gruff man cut her off, turning his back to her. “It’s in an hour. Take that time to rest some more.”

“Wait, what—“

But he didn’t wait, simply leaving her to deal with her demons. Cursing under her breath, Ame laid back down, her mind swirling with unanswered questions and doubts. After what both Lovro and Inu— _the Reaper_ said, it was actually a pretty stupid question: Saru _was_ planning on making her his successor. However, the real question was… why? Why her? Why now?

 _And there’s still the class to deal with,_ she then recalled, biting back a cringe. _There’s no way to lie my way through it this time around. I’ll have to explain everything to them…_

But there was no point in worrying about that for now. Until she and the others handled the Zodiac’s business and all of the issues that came with the Reaper’s betrayal, she wouldn’t go back to school. Hopefully, though, it wouldn’t take too long. Not because she missed school particularly, but because she knew that, if she took too long to come back, then her friends and their dumbass octopus teacher would surely come after her and ‘cause all sorts of trouble.

* * *

Hana came to fetch her exactly fifty-six minutes later. Neither of them uttering a word, they went to the meeting room together. Ame had already started memorizing the layout of their new headquarters, but she couldn’t help but feel a little lost, still. This wasn’t the place where she had grown up, and suddenly moving out was only a bitter reminder of what had happened. However, her emotional pain was quickly brushed aside when they entered the meeting room, in which thirteen of the sixteen seats were already occupied. As Hana and Ame went to take their respective places, the girl glanced to the seat to her right. The drawing of a dog was clearly displayed on the seat, since this one was empty. Also, the ring she had recovered from the Reaper’s finger had been placed on the table just before the empty seat. Shaking her head, she then looked around, surprised, and maybe a tad intimidated, too.

 _I’ve never seen us all gathered in the same place before,_ she mused internally. _Though then again, I’m guessing a situation like this one never really came up before, uh?_

“Alright, let’s not waste any more time,” stated flatly Saru, for once serious. Everyone reported their attention to him as he rose to his feet. “Inu has betrayed us. In order to fulfill his selfish ambitions, he attempted to kill Ame not two days ago. Now that the primary issues created by the situation have been handled, I believe it’s time to make some more _personal_ changes.”

“Meaning?” Isana replied, unimpressed by his cryptic words.

“We’ve built up this organization on the basics of trust and teamwork. However, I have now come to understand that trusting people isn’t just blindly accepting them, but accepting them when we actually know who they are.” He then smiled. “You have known me as Saru for all these years, but my real name is Jason Clay. I joined the Zodiac sixteen years ago, when I was eighteen, because I was on the run from the American government due to the illegal weapon dealing market I had created when I was still an assassin-for-hire. Now, your turn!”

“W- wait!” instantly protested Ondori, not liking how things had taken such a drastic turn without any warning. “You want us to actually give away our names? I thought the point of this organization was keeping secrets!”

“We’re info-brokers, but the rules have always been clear: the names, the pasts, and the lives of the members are their own. Anyone is forbidden from digging into those, and only the member in question can give away their personal information,” confirmed Saru, unperturbed by the outburst. “However, this is the second instance of treason the Zodiac has had to deal with, and the problem stays the same: we let it happen because we didn’t know anything. So, if we want to avoid a third instance of betrayal, I believe it’s time we definitely turn things around.”

 _The second time?_ Blinked Ame, confused. She looked around, but everyone else, saved for Red-Eye, seemed to understand what he was talking about. _When did it happen—_

::

_“Ame, watch out!”_

_The gun fired._

::

Her breath hitched a bit. All this time, she had done her best to suppress the memory of that terrible night and, while she’d never forget the gun, she had forgotten the face and the name of the man she had shot. But now… Well, she still couldn’t remember, but she was fairly certain that was the member who had betrayed them the first time around.

“If you don’t agree with this change of rules, then you’re welcome to leave,” then announced Saru, gesturing to the door. “But understand that, as soon as you walk out of this door, you will no longer be a member, and you _will_ have to remove your ring before stepping out. If you wish to stay, however…” He offered them a grin. “It’s all cards on the table, right here, right now.”

There was a moment of silence as everyone silently pondered over the ultimatum. In the end, they all understood that _trust_ was merely a mean to an end—Saru’s true goal was _insurance._ If one of them ever decided to jump ship, then the others would be quick to turn on them and use all of their personal information against them. It was a ‘tell-on-me-and-I’ll-tell-on-you’ kind of situation and, while Ame wasn’t exactly a fan of such an underhanded, manipulative technique, she couldn’t deny its usefulness—and neither could anyone else.

“Dale, AKA Ryu,” suddenly said the man in question. “I created the Zodiac twenty-two years ago, when I was seventeen, because the Army I was a part of at the time tried to sell me out to another country for some money. They used my loyalty against me, and so I decided to create this info-broking organization in order to bring them down.”

“Samon, AKA Buru. I am also a founding member of the Zodiac. At the time, I was Dale’s bodyguard. I was considered a fighting prodigy at age fourteen, hence why they tried to have me killed at the same time they sold out Dale, fearing I’d turn against them once he was gone,” summarized darkly the buff man.

“Bach, AKA Buta. I’m also a founding member of the Zodiac. I met Dale and Samon when I was banned from my country due to an accident with one of my inventions, and I decided to tag along for the ride since it’d allow me to pursue my research without any government holding me back,” resumed the oldest member, heaving out a sigh.

“… Mest, AKA Same. I’m the last founding member of the Zodiac. I used to live on the streets before government agents kidnapped me and conducted illegal experiments, which led me to develop my mimicking ability,” explained flatly the infiltration master. “I escaped thanks to Dale, and agreed to join them as the first shadow member of the group.”

“Okay, so we’re actually doing this, uh?” Leaning back in his seat, Uma sighed in a resigned manner. “Well, the name’s Tal. I’m a former assassin and I joined seventeen years ago, when I was fifteen. I infiltrated the country illegally in order to flee from a former client, and the Zodiac then took me in.”

“Haku, AKA Usagi.” The hacker scratched the back of his head, a tad nervous. “I’m the former member of another yakuza group that was disbanded by the Zodiac. Saru recruited me then, thirteen years ago. I’m actually albinos and I’m asthmatic, hence why I don’t take part in on-field missions with the rest of you.”

There was a moment of silence as all eyes fell on the next member.

“… do I really have to?”

“Kara-chan, you can’t know everything about everyone and not say a single thing about yourself,” deadpanned Uma.

“Fine! The real name’s Cross, I’m from England, and I used to work as an info-broker for the English government before they turned on me when discovering I was also selling _their_ info on the black market,” grunted the know-it-all crow, crossing his arms over his chest. “I fled to Japan and ran into Uma, who then recruited me into the Zodiac. Happy?”

“You doubled-crossed the English government?” Uma apparently wasn’t aware of that, and started laughing. “Way to go, Kara-chan! No wonder you’re so quick at making enemies!”

“Aa? You’re one to talk, you flirty dumbass!”

“A _hem_ ,” Yagi cut in, a tad annoyed by the childish bickering. “I’m a medical prodigy who was kicked out of every single hospital I worked in because they deemed my working methods lacked ethic. The name’s Nawaki.”

“Devit, AKA Ratto. I’m an ex-thief who stole from over two-hundred banks throughout the world before I finally got caught. Saru busted me out of jail and then recruited me into the Zodiac, though I can no longer go on the field due to a severe injury left by the gunshot that allowed my arrest in the first place,” explained their treasurer with a small grin. “Also, Uma, you should _really_ pay attention to your bank account. I’ve been steeling ten dollars each week from it for the past ten years, and you’ve never noticed a thing.”

“WHAT!?”

“Hana, AKA Hebi,” the red-haired woman then cut in before another argument could take place—though she’d surely check her bank account later. “I’m a former drug dealer who was picked up by Dale nine years ago. That’s all.”

“Actually—“ Karasu stopped talking when she glared at him. “Ne- nevermind.”

“Hana?” however insisted Saru, raising an eyebrow.

She sighed at that, lowering her eyes. “I… I have a child. I had him two years ago, but dropped him off in a foster home as soon as he no longer needed me.”

_A foster home—_

Ame stiffened at that, snapping her eyes to her. “Leo’s your _son_!?”

“… Aa.”

“How- how come you’ve never told me!?”

“Because it doesn’t matter,” retorted the red-haired woman, a tad more harshly than necessary. “He’s better off without me, and you’re _forbidden_ from ever telling him anything about me. Leave it at that.”

Ame definitely had no intention of just leaving it at that, but she understood that now wasn’t the time to bring up family issues. So, simply nodding, she leaned back in her seat.

“The name’s Feitan,” then announced Ondori, obviously annoyed. “I joined nine years ago because of a debt I owed to Saru after I lost a gamble with him.”

“A gamble?” echoed Buta, curious.

“We gambled our lives,” simply grinned Saru. “I won, so he gave me his life. Instead of taking it, I had him join the Zodiac. Ah, fun times~.”

“Wow, and I thought _I_ had issues,” snorted Ame. “Gambling addict, uh?”

“Better than being a trouble magnet, brat,” retorted snappily Ondori.

“Alright, moving on, children,” then intervened the former spy. “The name’s Isana, but most of you know me as Tora. I was once a part of the most elite government spying group of Japan, but, one day, they sent us on a suicide mission in order to safeguard all of the secrets we had learned over the years. I’m the only one who made it out alive, thanks to Samon and Yagi. That was also nine years ago.”

“Well, I don’t think there’s much about me that you guys don’t know about,” deadpanned Ame, earning a few chuckles. “Ame, AKA Kitsune. I’m the third shadow member of the Zodiac, and I was recruited by Saru eight years ago, when I was seven. I still have no idea why, but I certainly won’t complain.”

Inu, now called the Reaper, was a former assassin who joined three years prior. However, since his seat was now empty, they moved on to their last member.

“Sasori, AKA Red-Eye. Before any of you ask, I only give my assassin name because I do not remember my real one,” he admitted, clicking his tongue. “I was recruited by Ame a few months ago, after my assassination attempt on her monster-teacher failed. I am the fourth shadow member of the Zodiac.”

Silence took over as everyone took a moment to digest the new information. They all felt pretty naked, to be honest, even if they hadn’t said much that one member of the other didn’t already know. It was like offering their necks to the wolves, and no one was really comfortable with that, even if they had decided to play along.

“Well, now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” then beamed Saru, clasping his hands together. “Now, on to the next matter: while the Reaper has been arrested and he won’t find any proof to back up his claims if he were to sell us out, there’s still an issue with Ame’s bounty.”

“It’s still there!?” gasped Ame, eyes widening. “Damn it!”

“Even if it’s still there, though, we’ve managed to figure out how exactly the assassins have always been able to track you down,” then informed Usagi. He pulled out a little transparent box, in which was… a tracker? “It was in your shoulder. The Reaper surely put it there when treating one of your injuries. Now that we’ve taken it out, though, the assassins won’t be able to find you as easily as before.”

“Well, I guess that’s good…” she relented. Then, her eyes hardened, and she turned to their leader. “Though, I think it’s time we actually address the source of this shit-show: Saru, is it true that you intend for me to become your successor?”

Silence fell upon the group once again. Everyone exchanged unsure glances, before all eyes finally settled on the Leader. He stared at Ame for a moment, before letting out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.

“Straight to the point, uh?”

“I don’t like to be left in the dark,” she simply replied, not wanting to play any games anymore.

“Well, yes. It’s true,” he finally confirmed. “I’ve been discussing it with the others for a while. However, we had _all_ agreed not to tell you anything until you finished high school.”

“Until I decided whether to fully join the Zodiac or to pursue my studies,” she understood. Sighing, she rubbed her temples. “Lovro’s the one who told me. He taught the knock-out technique to one of my classmates and, when I recognized it, he told me about the promise you made to him.”

“I see. Well, now that you know, there’s no point in hiding it,” he mused.

Nodding, Ame then glanced to the other members. “What do you guys think? Surely you can’t all agree with this.”

“I don’t,” instantly confirmed Feitan with a scowl.

“Yeah, well, that’s no surprise,” sweatdropped the girl.

“I do,” instantly replied Isana.

“For real?”

“I do too,” nodded Hana.

“I don’t mind,” simply shrugged Devit.

“Could’ve been a worst choice,” grumbled Nawaki. “Could’ve been better.”

“I mean, at least it’s not Uma,” deadpanned Karasu.

“Oi, Kara-chan!” pouted the seduction master. He then grinned at Ame. “But I wouldn’t mind having you on top—“

His partner simply whacked him over the head, effectively shutting him up.

“We’ve worked together for a long time,” then stated Usagi with a small smile. “You’re a lot like Leader, so I have no issue with it.”

“No offense, kid, but I think you’d need a few more years before being considered for the position,” then said Bach, offering her an apologetic smile.

She simply smiled back, taking no offense to it.

“I’m the one who brought it up to Saru,” then admitted Dale.

“If Dale said it, then I don’t see a problem with it,” assured Samon.

“I have no objection,” then announced Mest, startling most. He, too, didn’t exactly get along with Ame. “Personal matters aside, I believe you would make a good candidate.”

“What about you, Red-Eye?” then asked Ame, turning to the man in question. “You’ve been pretty quiet until now.”

“W- well, I don’t see how my input could really matter in such a situation,” he admitted sheepishly. “I’ve only been here for a few months—“

“You’re still a member, Red-Eye,” smiled lightly Saru. “Your opinion counts as much as ours. So? What do you think?”

“… I agree with Bach,” he finally admitted. “She needs more experience, at least.”

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’m _not_ resigning right now, uh?” the Leader drawled. “The former plan was to let Ame decide whether or not she wanted to officially join. If she did, then she’d be informed of my intent to make her the new Leader of the Zodiac. After what, I would have spent the following years properly tutoring her so she could, one day, take up the mantle.” He finally looked at the girl in question. “Ame? What do you think?”

“I think you’re all fucking insane,” she replied without an ounce of hesitation. A few snorts followed, and she threw her hands in the air. “I mean, seriously! I’m fifteen years old, for God’s sake! I know I’ve been a member for almost a decade now, but there are still many other members who would be much more suited for the position than I am!”

“No matter what you might think, I didn’t take this decision lightly,” assured calmly Saru, apparently amused by her outburst. “I think you have the potential to bring the Zodiac to new heights, and the majority agrees. With more time and more experience, you could become an even greater Leader.”

“Why not Ondori?” she instantly retorted, gesturing to the man, who startled a bit. “He’s a good talker and already has many contacts in the Underworld. He has much more experience, and he’s led more than a dozen of grand-scale field-missions. If anyone is suited for the position of Leader, it’s him!”

Everyone seemed pretty surprised at her words. After all, it was no secret that she and Ondori hated each other’s guts, so for her to acknowledge his skills so openly was unexpected.

“Ever since Korosensei came into the picture, I watched you grow beyond expectations,” then admitted Saru, a small smile gracing his lips. “You learned from your mistakes, made friends, taught to others what you knew… You may not have noticed, but you’re now leading your classmates like I am leading the Zodiac. Indirectly, but noticeably.”

“I- I’m not—“

“They always seek your advice or your aid, ask for your input even if it’s about meaningless issues, acknowledge your decisions and your skills, respect you as a person, and they trust you blindly even if they know that you’re hiding much from them,” he summarized. “In short, you earned their trust and respect through your actions, like a real leader would.” Seeing how she no longer had any argument, he decided not to insist. “As I said before, I didn’t take this decision lightly, and neither should you: don’t decide anything until the school year is over with. Keep doing whatever you’ve been doing since the year started, and don’t linger too much on it.” He then snorted. “For all we know, we’ll all die once the year is over anyway, if you fail to kill your teacher. So, no point in torturing yourself over it, alright?”

“… alright.”

“Great! Now, moving on to the last matter we should handle in priority: what should we do about Ame’s classmates?”

She stiffened at that. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I understand that you’re now in a rather tight position,” he pointed out. “They were all present when the Reaper shot you, and you unknowingly revealed some information about the organization. Adding to that that they now know you were once the Reaper’s colleague, that they already started noticing a pattern with the rings, and that your assassin teacher Irina Jelavic actually knows about us, well, they know a lot. And, of course, they saw us.”

“Otherwise said, they know too much and will probably end up talking about the wrong thing to the wrong person,” resumed Feitan with a sneer. “Lovely.”

“Well, they’re already part of a secret organization themselves,” then rationalized Bach. “What with the assassination classroom they’re a part of, they’re bound to secrecy by the government. If they’ve managed to keep quiet about it for so long, surely keeping quiet about the Zodiac won’t be an issue for them, even more so considering the fact that it would put their friend in danger if that information was to land in the wrong hands.”

“Frankly, it’s not like we can do much about it,” then remarked Hana with a shrug. “The real question is: do we allow Ame to tell them everything, or does she have to keep quiet?”

“They’ll probably end up looking for answers themselves if she doesn’t tell them,” mused Karasu.

“But we can’t just give away our existence to a bunch of kids!” then protested Nawaki. “They already know too much—let’s leave it at that.”

“Agreed,” nodded Samon. “Once the year is up, we can’t guarantee they won’t turn on us.”

“I trust every single member of my class with my life,” instantly cut in Ame, her tone leaving no room to negotiation. “We’ve been through many trials together. They wouldn’t betray us like that.”

“You mean like Inu?” drawled Ondori.

She flinched, but didn’t back down. “It’s different.”

“How so?”

“Alright, enough dawdling,” Saru intervened. “Everyone in favor of telling the E-Class about the Zodiac, raise your hands.”

Ame, Red-Eye, Hana, Isana, Karasu, Usagi, Saru, Uma, Buta, and Ryu all raised their hands.

“All those against?”

Feitan, Devit, Nawaki, Mest, and Samon raised their hands. In the end, it was ten voices against five, but it still wasn’t good enough.

“Until we’ve come to an agreement, you will have to keep silent, Ame,” decided Saru—no, Jason. “On this point, it has to be an unanimous decision.”

“I understand,” she nodded, though she was a tad bitter. “But I won’t lie to them again. I’ll simply tell them that, right now, I can’t say anything. Agreed?”

“Anyone has any issue with this?” When no one answered, he nodded. “Agreed. Now, we’ve called your grandmother to let her know you were okay and that you were spending the night with your friend Rio. You should probably go back, though, once the day is over. That way, she’ll think you were at school.”

“Right. Are there any other matters to discuss?”

“None at the moment. Let us handle the technicalities, and we’ll call you if we need your help with something,” he concluded. “For now, just get some rest.”

“Alright.”

No matter how much she wanted to help, Ame was still extremely tired. So, the meeting concluded, everyone left the room one after the other to get back to their primary duties. They needed to get back to work as quickly as possible so as not to fall behind schedule.

 _I just hope the others won’t be too mad about this,_ thought Ame with a frown. _I told them I’d explain everything once I came back, but it’ll have to wait. If I go against Saru’s decision, it definitely won’t go well for me._

* * *

A while later, Ame was escorted back home by Hana. They didn’t say anything, the woman because she didn’t want to talk about what had been said, and Ame because she didn’t know what to do with this new information. Now that she knew that Leo was Hana’s biological son, she knew keeping it a secret as he grew older would be hard. And, well, as an info-broker, she knew better than most that no secret was ever meant to stay secret. It could take years or decades or even longer, but the truth _always_ got out, no matter how one might try to hide it.

“… I won’t tell him.” Hana startled a bit, and Ame gritted her teeth, but kept on talking. “I won’t tell him, but you’ll have to do it at some point.”

“… thanks.”

The goodbyes were less tensed when she finally arrived home, and Hana offered her an encouraging smile before taking off. Shaking her head, Ame then went inside. Much to her surprise, though, no one was there. The lights were turned off, saved for the one in the kitchen, which meant they had gone out. On the table, she found a note written by Itona:

_ We all went out to see a movie because your grandmother won some tickets. We didn’t wait for you since we didn’t know when you would be coming back. Obaa-san says there’s food in the fridge if you’re hungry, and I left your homework on your bed. _

_ —Itona _

The note was short and straight to the point, which made her chuckle a bit. Had it been from her grandmother, she’d surely have written of dozen of apologies for going out without warning her first. Tucking the note in her pocket, she then grabbed the small snack her grandmother had left for her in the fridge, before heading upstairs. It wasn’t very late, so she’d try and catch up on the homework she had missed.

Dropping her bag on the bed, she then grabbed the notebooks and settled at the small desk, grateful for Itona’s notes. The boy wasn’t that much more interested than her in school, but he was still thorough in his note-taking. Barely a few minutes later, though, she heard… something. Or rather, she sensed it: someone had just entered the house. But who? I couldn’t be her family, she’d have definitely heard the kids yelling outside.

“Itona?” she called out, a tad wary. “Is that you?”

No one answered, but someone was definitely coming up the stairs. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the knives that had been duct-taped under the desk and armed herself.

“Itona, if it’s you, speak up now!” she snapped.

It couldn’t be one of the Zodiac, they’d have warned her for sure since they knew very well of her paranoiac nature. However, Itona would have answered at her first call. If it wasn’t her family, her colleagues, or one of her friends, then who?

 _Another assassin,_ came the easy answer.

The presence was much closer now. Goosebumps were covering her arms and her guts were churning, a telltale sign from her instincts that there was danger nearby. Whoever the intruder was, they had just finished climbing the stairs. Her door was still open, so she simply had to wait for them to show up—

‘THUMP’

 _The roof!?_ She tensed, glancing up. Something, or rather someone, had just landed on the roof above her head. _Damn it, how many of them are there!?_

She grabbed her phone, before cursing loudly. In all of the confusion still reigning in their midst, she hadn’t thought of asking Saru for the new one, meaning all of the numbers of the Zodiac members in her current possession were void. Having no other choice, she dialed Itona’s number, since he was the only one with her family at the moment and her priority was to keep them safe, still. It took a few seconds, but he finally picked up.

**“Ame, where—“**

“I’m home. Assassins, two of them, probably more,” she announced sharply, keeping an eye on both the open door and the window. “I can’t contact the Zodiac, they’re—“

Suddenly, a buzz started occupying the line. Her eyes widened when realizing that whoever was on the roof had managed to freeze her signal, completely cutting off her communication.

 _Well, at least I managed to warn him,_ she rationalized, throwing the phone aside. _Now let’s just hope I can hold down the fort until reinforcements arrive._

There was no sound nor movement, everything eerily still. She knew there was someone blocking the stairs, and there was someone else on the roof that would surely shoot her if the tried to escape through the window. The only thing she could do was wait for them to make the first move and play it by ear from there.

_Ugh, I really can’t catch a break, uh? And here I thought things would get better now that the traitor was found…_

“Show yourself!” she snapped, growing impatient. “Stop playing around already! If you want my head, come and get it!!!”

As if on cue, the window to her right suddenly broke in a loud crash. She instantly jumped back, about to throw her knives, before realizing it was actually a small, black, metallic sphere. At the same time, though, the door to her left suddenly slammed shut. Her eyes widened when a hissing sound followed, before the sphere suddenly popped open, and a white smoke started flowing out of it. Since it was so close to her, she couldn’t fully escape from it, and inhaled some of the smoke, which instantly made her dizzy.

_Fuck! Sleeping gas!_

She instantly tried to open her door, though her efforts were in vain. Whoever was on the other side was keeping it tightly locked. Cursing under her breath, she threw caution aside and made a run for the window. Just as she opened it, though, the assassin on the roof and down and slipped inside, kicking her in the guts. The blow sent her stumbling backward, right through the sleeping gas. She instantly slapped her hand over her mouth and nose, though she knew it wouldn’t last for long. She threw her knives at her assailant before jumping toward her bed and grabbed the first weapon she could get her hands upon.

_Perfect!_

Just as the masked assassin came at her, she pulled out none other than her katana and made a wide arc, effectively cutting her assailant. A muffled curse escaped as blood splattered on the carpet, and Ame instantly jumped on the opportunity to run back toward the window. However, just as she reached it, a whizzing sound caught her ear, and something suddenly slithered around her neck. The metallic rope tightened, cutting off her air supply as she was roughly pulled back inside. She fell smack in the middle of the white smoke, coughing and gasping for air, even though it was poisoned. Her vision blurred as she hopelessly clawed at the metallic rope still tied around her neck, and tears brimmed her eyes. Two shadows suddenly loomed over her. They were saying something but, before she could understand what, the sleeping gas and the lack of oxygen did their work and completely knocked her out.

* * *

As the sleeping gas dispersed thanks to the opened window, the two masked assassins looked down at the now unconscious girl. They hadn’t expected her to sense them, even less for her to call them out on it, but they should have probably expected such a thing. After all, this was the girl the oh-so-elusive Leader of the Zodiac had chosen as his successor.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing I came in when I did, uh?” mused the one who had been blocking the door earlier. He unwrapped the metal whip he had used to hold the girl back. “He told us to be careful when handling her, but she’d have escaped if I didn’t get a little rough. Are you getting too old for this or something? You’re even leaving evidence all over the carpet.”

“Shut up, Michael!” snapped the other, pressing his hand against his bleeding wound. “How was I supposed to know she’d pull a goddamn katana from under her bed!?”

“She’s been trained by soldiers, spies, and assassins. You should have expected she’d pull out something dangerous, Chamuel,” snorted Michael, kicking the sword aside. “Though I guess I wouldn’t have seen the katana coming either.”

“Right? Right?”

**“Oi, you guys done already? She managed to call for help before we finished setting up the barrier, so we don’t have much more time before her friends show up.”**

Michael pressed a finger to the device placed against his ear. “Yeah, the target’s acquired. We’re coming out, so send the cleanup unit. And tell them to bring a lot of bleach, too.”

**“Bleach?”**

“Yeah, Cha’s bleeding all over the girl’s floor.”

“Oi! Try to sound a little more concerned for your senior!” protested Chamuel.

**“Alright, don’t you two get started now. Bring her back to the Boss at once, we’ll handle the rest.”**

“Thanks, Ariel. Later.”

**“Later.”**

Crouching down, the one named Michael wasted no time in putting cuffs around the girl’s wrists and ankles. After all, since she had developed an immunity for most poisons, they didn’t know for how long the sleeping gas they had used would keep her out of it, and he’d rather not deal with an escape attempt if he could save himself the trouble. Once done, he picked up her, then kicked the katana back under the bed, since the cleanup unit surely wouldn’t have the time to clean it.

“Alright, let’s go,” he then ordered, heading out with their target. “Raphael will patch you up as soon as we get back.”

“Right,” nodded Chamuel, following after him.

* * *

_A few minutes earlier_

.

.

Winning tickets to go see a movie had been an unexpected, but pleasant surprise. Itona thought it’d be a good way to distract the kids from Ame’s absence. Since he knew what was going on with the Zodiac, he understood her current situation better than their other classmates could, but it didn’t mean he didn’t worry a little. She had been gravely injured, after all, and while he didn’t doubt she’d make a full recovery in no time, he’d rather see it for himself. Unfortunately, Ritsu had been unable to keep him updated, since the Zodiac had been very efficient in modifying their programs from A to Z in order to avoid the government hacking into their systems. She’d need Ame or Usagi to let her in but, until then, she was as much in the dark as Itona and everyone else.

_It’s already been two days… Surely she’s home by now, right? I should try calling her—_

As if on cue, his phone started ringing. Since they weren’t in the movie room yet, he quickly excused himself before heading out. His eyes widened slightly when seeing who exactly was calling him, and he quickly picked up.

“Ame, where—“

 **“I’m home. Assassins, two of them, probably more,”** she announced sharply. He stiffened. **“I can’t contact the Zodiac, they’re—“**

Suddenly, a buzzing sound took over, cutting off whatever she had been about to say. However, he could tell enough from this one call and, while he couldn’t warn her colleagues, he knew many other people who could help. So, he quickly called Terasaka, one of the few people he knew to possess the number he needed, since Itona himself didn’t really converse with their other classmates.

**“Itona, what do you want? It’s getting late—“**

“Ame’s in trouble with some assassins at home,” he quickly explained. “Do you have Korosensei’s number?”

**“W- what? Err, wait, no. But I know someone who does. Go ahead, we’ll catch up! Hurry!”**

“Roger that!”

* * *

Terasaka was relaxing at home, for once. His homework was surprisingly done, he didn’t have any plans with his friends, and he was taking this free time to think some more upon the events that had happened two days earlier: they had almost _died._ Sure, he knew this assassination business was dangerous and, being one of those who had been poisoned back on the island, he understood better than most what it was like to have your life threatened. However, seeing Naoki Ame collapsing under gunfire had been honestly terrifying—none of them had ever come so close to dying before. He knew an incident like the one with the Reaper wouldn’t happen again, since Karasuma was looking out for them, but _still._ And adding to that all of the mystery enshrouding Ame, well, it had been quite the mentally exhausting night—

**“TUT-TUT-TUTUTUT-TUT-TUT-TUTUTUT—“**

Startled at first, he then picked up, frowning a bit when noticing it was Itona. The boy had never called him before, even less at such a time.

“Itona, what do you want?” he asked gruffly. “It’s getting late—“

 **“Ame’s in trouble with some assassins at home. Do you have Korosensei’s number?”** he asked, his usually passive voice now filled with urgency.

Terasaka stayed silent for a moment, honestly taken aback, before the seriousness of the situation hit him.

“W- what? Err, wait, no. But I know someone who does. Go ahead, we’ll catch up! Hurry!” he urged.

**“Roger that.”**

_Seriously, can’t this girl stay out of trouble? She was shot barely two days ago and she already has some assassins dropping by her house!_ He cursed internally, quickly dialing a new number. _You better pick up, you damn smartass!_

* * *

Karma was trying to focus on his homework but, frankly, he couldn’t. With everything that had happened, and still no news of Ame’s state or whereabouts, he couldn’t help but worry about the girl. He was starting to get a better understanding of what exactly she was hiding from them, but he didn’t have all of the answers, and he hated to be kept in the dark like that. Hopefully, once she came back, she’d tell them everything.

 _That is,_ if _she comes back,_ he thought, a tad darkly. _With what just happened with the Reaper, will she even be able to trust us? Or did his stupid stunt just destroyed all chance we had at ever earning it? That bastard—_

His phone started buzzing, snapping him out of his thoughts. He raised an eyebrow when seeing it was Terasaka, of all people. He had given him his number a joke, telling him to use it if he ever was too dumb to resolve a math problem on his own, but…

“Hello?” he answered, smirking a bit. “So you’re really too dumb to—“

 **“Not the time, Karma!”** snapped the boy, startling him. **“Ame’s in trouble again! There’s assassins at her house and she’s stuck dealing with them!”**

“Shit!” Karma didn’t curse very often, but now was a special occasion. “I’m contacting Korosensei immediately, rally all the others!”

**“Right on it!”**

_Ugh, you just can’t stay still, can you, Ame?_ Karma gritted his teeth as he dialed Korosensei’s number. _You better be safe, you reckless girl!_

* * *

Itona had apologized to Obaa-san and the children, before running off, saying he had completely forgotten about some homework that needed to be done for the next day. They had easily bought his lie, and he had wasted no time in heading back home. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far, so he got there in under fifteen minutes. When he arrived, though, the front door was locked and all lights inside were turned off—which instantly put him on edge.

“Ame?” he called, warily stepping inside. “Ame, where are you?”

No one answered. His worry increasing, he quickly headed upstairs. Once he reached her room, he found the door closed, but not locked. Somewhat afraid of what he’d find inside, he slowly opened the door, bracing himself for something, anything—

“Uh.”

Nothing. There was nothing. No blood, no corpse, no weapon lying around. The window was clean and closed shut, the bed was made, and even the desk was in order. However, the heavy scent of bleach lingering in the air and the half-eaten pizza on the desk were both out of place—one because why the hell would Ame use bleach in their room, and the other because the pizza was a definite sign that Ame had been home for long enough to start eating. She had even gotten started on her homework, if the opened notebooks were anything to go by.

“Oh, Itona-kun!”

The boy didn’t even startle at the octopus’s sudden appearance. “Korosensei.”

“Is Naoki-san alright?” the octopus asked urgently.

“Don’t know. I got here just a minute ago, and she wasn’t there,” admitted the boy, frowning. “There’s no sign of a fight or a struggle, everything is perfectly in place… It’s too clean, Korosensei. The room is always messy, and I doubt Ame would have wasted her time cleaning it up. Something’s definitely wrong.”

“Meaning someone else cleared away all evidence before we could get there,” understood Korosensei, his tone growing somber. “I’ll go take a look outside, to try to pick up a trail. Find what you can in here, then join everyone at the campus.”

“Yes, sir!”

* * *

.

.

Itona, Terasaka, and Karma had managed to directly or indirectly contact all of their classmates and, about forty-five minutes after Ame’s call, they had all gathered on the campus, saved for Itona and Korosensei. Even Karasuma and Bitch-sensei had somehow gotten wind of what had happened, probably from Ritsu, and they were now all waiting for news. After what felt like an eternity, Korosensei finally returned.

“Is she okay?” instantly asked Rio, worried. “What happened?”

“That… I do not know.” Korosensei bowed his head. “Naoki-san was gone by the time I arrived.”

“What!?”

“No way!”

“Everyone, calm down!” instantly urged Isogai, trying to keep the peace. “Korosensei said she was gone, meaning she was taken, right?” At his confirmative nod, Isogai’s traits hardened a bit. “That means that, whoever were the people who took her, they weren’t assassins.”

“They’d have killed her on the spot,” understood Kaede, calming down.

“We don’t know that,” grunted Terasaka. “For all we know, they killed her and dragged her body to a government office to claim the bounty!”

“Don’t say that!” snapped Rio.

“Naoki’s not dead,” then assured Karasuma, checking his phone. “If she was, her name would have been taken off the Dark List, but it’s still there.”

Suddenly, the door of the classroom slid open, letting enter Itona. With a dark look, he threw something on the teacher’s desk, and a collective gasp echoed when they saw the bloodied blade of the katana.

“It’s- it’s—“

“Not her blood, of that I’m convinced,” instantly assured Itona. “The katana’s hers, and it’s usually hidden under the bed, which is where I found it. However, she’s never used it before, meaning—“

“The blood on the blade is that of one of her kidnappers,” understood Karma, narrowing his eyes. “Karasuma-sensei, can you check and see if it fits any governmental database?”

“Already on it.”

“There’s blood on the katana, but there wasn’t any on the floor,” then informed Itona. “Someone cleaned all of it with bleach. There were also no signs of struggle. I’m guessing that, whoever took her, they tried to cover up their tracks.”

“Why would a normal assassin go through all of that trouble?” pointed out Fuwa. “I’m guessing we’re not dealing with people who are after her bounty, but with people who are after her _personally.”_

“Well, we all know she’s a member of some weird organization,” then remarked Yoshida, scratching the back of his head. “Maybe they’re from a rival organization?”

“Well, well, well, you kids really figure things out quickly, uh?”

The voice didn’t belong to any of the students nor any of the teachers, but it _was_ familiar. At once, they all turned around to the window near the front of the class. On the windowsill was now casually sitting the man they recognized as Ame’s colleague.

“You’re that Saru guy!” instantly recognized Fuwa.

“Hey there, Fuwa-chan,” he greeted with a small smile. He then glanced at the rest of the classroom. “Mind if I invite myself in?”

“Are you here about Naoki’s kidnapping?” inquired Karasuma, narrowing his eyes.

“You got it in one, chief,” nodded the man, standing up. “In fact, we all are.”

“We?”

At once, thirteen masked shadows appeared near the windows. A few of the students let out startled screams, but they quickly recognized them as the people Ame had mysteriously disappeared with two days prior.

“We know who did it and why,” Saru then admitted, now serious. “In order to save Ame, we’re ready to tell you everything you need to know about our organization.”

“Well, we can’t really say no to that, can we?” mused Karma, echoing everyone’s thoughts.

As the others nodded in agreement, Karasuma refrained the urge to facepalm. Things were becoming more and more complicated, much more than he had first anticipated when he agreed to become the agent in charge of the Assassination Classroom Project.

* * *

Thirteen masked figures now stood at the front of the class, with Saru just behind the teacher’s desk. Karasuma, Bitch-sensei, and Korosensei were standing on the sides, waiting. As for the students, they were all back in their seats. If anyone had passed by in that moment, they’d surely have thought it was some sort of super-secret sect meeting, or something.

“Well, first thing first: Ame isn’t in any immediate danger,” announced Saru. The students instantly relaxed a bit at that. “In fact, she’s not the actual target—I am. She’s been taken as a hostage, of a sort, and until we’ve received the enemy’s demands, she won’t be harmed.”

“Well, that’s good to know. That means you have the time to explain everything, right?” asked slyly Rio. “Don’t leave out any detail.”

The man smiled slightly at that. “Of course. Well, as most of you know, my name is Saru. I am the Leader of the Zodiac, a secret info-brokers organization that has been created twenty-two years ago. Ame is one of our members, who has been recruited eight years ago.”

“Info-brokers?”

“This sounds like a storyline from an anime…”

“For some reason, I’m not really surprised.”

The students had come to expect much crazier stuff from Naoki Ame, after all, and while it was a little shock to think that she joined such an organization when she was just seven years old, it wasn’t all that surprising. In fact, it already explained most of her personality quirks.

“There are exactly sixteen members in the Zodiac,” pursued Saru, gesturing to the people behind him. “As you’ve learned two days ago, the Reaper, AKA Inu, was the sixteenth member. As Fuwa-chan noticed before, we can all be recognized thanks to the rings we wear on our middle-fingers.”

Takebayashi raised his hand. “Aren’t there only twelve animals in the Zodiac?”

At that, Saru’s smile widened a bit. “In the tale of the Chinese Zodiac, yes. However, even our name is meant to lead potential foes astray, if they ever manage to dig up any of our secrets.”

“You called Ame ‘Kitsune’, before,” then recalled Takaoka, her eyes widening. “You’re actually using the constellations?”

“Bingo! Ame and three others are our Shadow Members, those who’ll pass more easily under the radar if we’re ever found out,” confirmed Saru, pleased that they caught on so quickly. “And now this little trap _would_ have come in handy had we not been sold out to the enemy by Inu.”

“You keep talking about the enemy, but who’re they? Just spit it out already,” grunted Terasaka.

“Of course, of course. The people who have taken Ame are members of a rival group known as _Coup de Grâce._ They’ve been trying to destroy the Zodiac for a long time, now, but never managed to get their hands on one of our members—until now.”

“ _C- Coup de Grâce!?”_ echoed Bitch-sensei, her perfect French accent piercing through. “But they’re a terrorist organization, a very feared one at that!”

“They almost managed to catch Ondori when you kids were infiltrating the Citadel, a few weeks ago,” then nodded Saru, gesturing to the member wearing a rooster mask. “He escaped, but they _did_ manage to figure out the business with our rings. For the rest, I’m guessing Inu gave them a description of Ame in the hopes that they’d take her out, but they’re now planning on using her against me instead.”

“Why, exactly? What happened?” asked Karma, eyes narrowed.

“It happened many years ago. A former member went rogue and turned on us, trying to sell us out to the highest bidder after having created an organization of his own _._ I ended up in a pinch, Ame got accidentally involved, and the former member was killed—though, you heard about that part, I believe.”

Rio’s eyes widened. “That’s the guy Ame killed while protecting you?”

“What are you talking about!?” instantly snapped Ondori, startling most. “Saru is the one who shot his _friend_ in order to protect that useless girl, so don’t—“

“No, she’s right,” however cut in Saru. “Ame’s the one who pulled the trigger that night, not me.”

“WHAT!?”

This time, the outburst came from many of the masked members. Apparently, they hadn’t been made aware of that particular detail.

“Ame was ashamed and thought you’d hate her for killing a former comrade, so I decided to take the blame for it, and that’s the story _you_ know,” explained the Leader, unperturbed. “What _really_ happened was that this member, the first Inu, actually managed to trap me in our headquarters. What we both didn’t know was that Ame was also inside, and she showed up just when he was about to kill me. She managed to get her hands on a gun, he tried to kill her instead, but she fired first. _That’s_ what really happened.”

“But what the hell was that whole trust spiel about, then!?” protested Ondori.

“You’re right, we should have told you then,” admitted Saru, rubbing the back of his head. “But…”

“But…?”

He offered a sheepish grin. “I forgot.”

“ _Are you serious_!?” While Hebi took care of calming him down, and while the rest of the members quieted down, taking in this new information, he reported his attention on the students. “The one currently in charge of _Coup de Grâce_ is Tanaka Sho, the son of this rogue member. He’s been hell-bent on destroying our organization and took over _Coup de Grâce,_ his father’s creation, in hopes of achieving his vengeful ambitions.”

“But since you lied to the other members, the Reaper gave away the wrong information,” understood Isogai, eyes widening a little. “He thinks you’re the one who killed his father, when Ame really is the one who did it.”

“And as long as they believe that, then Ame will be safe,” confirmed Saru.

“You think he’ll ask for your life in exchange for hers?” suggested Fuwa.

“I think that’s exactly what’ll he do, except he’ll then proceed to kill her and every other member in order to fully rid the world of the Zodiac,” he admitted flatly.

They all paled a little at that.

“But why come to us?” then asked Karasuma, wary. “This is a personal matter. You wouldn’t come out and tell us about yourself so freely if you didn’t have something to gain.”

“True,” nodded Saru, unashamed. “I’m here to ask for your help.”

“Help?” echoed Hayami. “You’re a professional organization of info-brokers composed of members will all sorts of criminal backgrounds—what could you possibly need help with? And even more so from high school students?”

“Well, for starters, we all know you’re not ordinary high school students.” It was the red-haired woman with a snake mask that had spoken up. “We’ve been aware of Korosensei’s existence since day one, and Ame couldn’t really hide from us what your classroom had become—meaning a training camp for assassins. The skills you’ve acquired in the past few months are nothing to scoff at, and the training you’ve undergone is something many pros would kill for.”

“ _Coup de Grâce_ established their headquarters in the Citadel,” pursued the one with the rabbit mask. “If you remember correctly, that’s the place you infiltrated in order to acquire the antidote to the poison that had been administered to your friends during your little vacation. That’s also why you ran into Ondori when infiltrating it—he was on a scouting mission. This kind of experience is extremely valuable, and you know what to expect, which is a plus.”

“Finally, _Coup de Grâce_ knows what to expect from us,” continued the woman with the tiger mask, stepping forward. “Because of the Reaper, they have pictures and other means to identify the members of the Zodiac and, while the shadow members such as Ame are _not_ registered in our database in order to keep up appearances, they still know more or less what to expect. You, however, are an unknown enemy.”

“Enough, enough!” Karasuma quickly walked up to them, placing himself between the students and the info-brokers. “You’re asking these children to break into a highly protected facility and to face an armed enemy that _won’t_ hesitate to kill them. You’re asking them to put their lives on the line! I can’t accept this!”

“Karasuma-sensei, with all due respect…” Maehara drawled, drawing everyone’s attention. “Wouldn’t it be exactly like what happened back on the island? At that time, the others knew of the dangers, yet they still decided to try their luck, and you supported them. What’s so different now?”

“This has nothing to do with the assassination—“

“This has to do with Ame’s life!” snapped back Rio, jumping to her feet. “When _I_ was poisoned, when we thought _our_ lives were in danger, she didn’t hesitate a single second and volunteered to go fetch the antidote herself, well-aware of the dangers, and even though she had been poisoned herself! And now you’re asking me to, what, leave her be? Let her fend for herself? If we don’t get her out, she’ll _die,_ and that’s not something I’m going to accept.” She then straightened her spine, staring straight at Saru. “Count me in.”

“Nakamura!” snapped Karasuma. “You can’t—“

“I’m in too,” announced Karma, also getting up. “I owe a lot to Ame, and she helped me out more than once. I’d only be returning the favor.”

“I remember most of the layout of the Citadel!” chirped in Fuwa, excitedly jumping to her feet.

“And climbing the mountainside was a piece of cake,” added Okano, grinning confidently.

“Ame is one of us,” stated Isogai with a small smile. “We’ll definitely save her!”

“She- she risked herself many times in order to protect us!” spoke up Kanzaki. “She got hurt all the time so we’d be safe… What kind of friends would we be if we abandoned her now, after all that she’s done for us?”

“Right!”

“Count me in!”

“We’ll definitely do it!”

One after the other, all of the students rose to their feet, determination hardening their eyes. Karasuma gritted his teeth at that, before turning to Korosensei, who had yet to say anything.

“Oi, you dumb octopus!” he exclaimed. “Are you really going to let your students take such risks!?”

“They’re ready to do anything in order to save their friend, Karasuma-san,” simply replied the yellow octopus. “Nothing either you or I say will change their minds. In the end, if you can’t stop them—” He suddenly vanished, only to reappear beside Saru, and placing a tentacle on the man’s shoulder. “—join them, right?”

“No, _not_ right!” He turned to his last potential ally. “Irina, say something! You of all people should understand how foolish this is!”

The woman simply shrugged, going to stand beside Yada and Kurahashi. “They’ll do it no matter what we may try to do to stop them. If we don’t want them to get hurt, then all we can do is tag along and ensure everything goes well.”

“Damn it…” Seeing everyone staring at him, he finally gave in. “Fine! I don’t condone this kind of reckless acting, but I’m not letting you do this alone. I’ll simply call the government and tell them it’ll be another assassination attempt, and they’ll leave us be.”

At that, the students started cheering. They now had powerful allies, and they were more than ready to go and save Ame.

“Wait, why can’t Korosensei go and take her out of there himself?” suddenly asked Kurahashi, blinking a few times in apparent confusion.

“Because _Coup de Grâce_ already knows about him, and they’re actually expecting him to show up.” Much to everyone’s surprise, it was Ritsu who had spoken up, from Karasuma’s phone. “I have already checked out the security measures put in place in the Citadel, and they are more than ready to face you, Korosensei. Also, the chances of them using Ame as a hostage against you if you do show up is of 99,87%, so I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“I thought as much,” mused their teacher. “At best, I’ll be a distraction. You, however, will all be the main actors of the rescue plan we’ll be putting in place. However, since we will now be working together, I would like for you all to remove your masks. After all, we are ready to trust you with Naoki-san’s life—the same level of trust should be returned, wouldn’t you agree?”

The members of the Zodiac exchanged unsure glances at that. Had it only been the students, they probably wouldn’t have hesitated—after all, training or no training, they couldn’t do much against them. However, Karasuma was a high-level government agent who’d surely end up ratting them out to his superiors. While his help would definitely heighten Ame’s chances of survival, it also meant endangering the entire organization—

“I’m afraid we can’t give away our real names,” then warned the snake-woman, before lowering her mask. She offered them a small grin. “But you’ve already seen my face anyway, so there’s no helping it. You can call me Hebi.”

“Gah! It’s the hot babe!” squeaked out Okajima, seemingly about to faint.

“Well, it’s not like I usually go out anyway,” muttered another with a rabbit mask, before taking it off too. “Call me Usagi.”

Saru soon followed, bemused, before being imitated by the others. Yagi, Same, and Ondori were more reluctant, and Buta, Karasu, and Tora weren’t big fans of giving away their identities either, but they all ended up taking off their masks and introducing themselves as the animals represented on them.

“Alright. Happy now?” grunted Ondori, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Very,” simply replied Korosensei, his eternal grin stretching a little wider. “Now that we seemingly stand on equal ground, let’s get started.” He then turned to face his class. “Everyone, this is a great opportunity to make use of the skills you’ve acquired in the past few months. With the help of pros, you will grow even more as students and as assassins. I’m counting on you to make the most of this chance you were given.”

“Korosensei, this is a rescue mission, not a school trip,” sweatdropped Maehara.

At that, though, Yoshida snorted. “Frankly, at that point, it’s kinda one in the same for us.”

At that, the others laughed in agreement. After all, they were the E-Class. When would they ever fit the mold?


	29. Twenty-Ninth Period: Rainbow Gang Time

Surprisingly enough, despite her criminal background and her past experiences, kidnapping had never been something Ame ever thought she’d have to suffer through. She was more used to the “kill-or-be-killed” atmosphere, not the “stay-put-until-we-can-kill-the-real-target” one. Even if she definitely lacked experience in this kind of situation, though, she wasn’t the kind of person to be unprepared. Her field of expertise was breaking-and-entering, infiltration, crocheting locks, and all of the other skills that could come in handy for a thief. Adding to that the special evasion techniques she had been taught over the years, well, needless to say, breaking free from the handcuffs biting into her wrists had been child’s play.

_Now, if only I knew what exactly was going on…_

Assassins hadn’t taken her, that much was obvious. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have woken up. She also seriously doubted she was into one of the government’s facilities, considering she had woken up in a rather comfortable and mildly familiar room. The curtains were closed, so she couldn’t see outside, but she didn’t need to look to know she wasn’t close enough to the ground to attempt a more reckless escape attempt.

_All right, keep your cool. What do you know?_

She knew she wasn’t the target, merely the bait. She knew there was more than one enemy, and she had an inkling that fighting off all of them simply wasn’t possible. She didn’t have any of her equipment and, saved for her clothes, only her ring was left. Though, considering the mild ache in her finger, she easily guessed they had tried to take it off—

_Wait, my hair!_

As a precaution, she often used a special glue to stick very thin needles to her hair. No one ever noticed a thing, and she had exactly six of those. The only downside was that they could be used only once since they were so thin: they broke very easily. However, in her situation, she had no place to be picky about her weapons.

_There’s a camera, so they’re surely already aware that I’m awake, and that I’ve managed to free myself from the handcuffs. Why anyone has yet to show up, I don’t know, but I better make my move before they do._

Glancing around the room, she quickly calculated the distance between the door and the bed. Then, letting out a small breath, she steeled herself… and jumped. In two strides, she was at the door. As expected, it was locked, but a well-calculated blow easily broke the handle and the lock, and she quickly found herself outside. Her step faltered a bit when she suddenly found herself in an easily recognizable hallway.

_I’m in the Citadel!? Damn it, how long was I out for!?_

But now wasn’t the time. Now that she knew where she was, she also knew what to do. As long as she could get to either the bottom floor or the top one, she’d be fine. Leaving behind the weapons she usually always carried on her left a bitter taste in her mouth but, in the end, escaping was more important than retrieving them. 

_And according to the map hanging on the corner, I’m apparently two floors under the top one. Should I try my luck with the bottom floor or should I head to the penthouse and mix up with the other rich brats?_

She had the utmost faith in her friends and colleagues—she knew the Zodiac would storm Heaven, Hell, and everything in between to rescue her. And, while she didn’t particularly enjoy playing the part of the damsel in distress, there wasn’t much she could do to save herself at the moment. For now, all she could do was to stay alive until her rescue party dropped by, and the only way to do that was for her to escape the Citadel and find a safe place to hide.

_The bottom floor it is, then._

For a moment, she entertained the thought of blending in like the last time they infiltrated the place, but she quickly forgot about it. She had no idea of how many people she was working against, meaning that she didn’t know whom amongst the staff and the “tourists” would instantly see through her charade. So, forgetting all about a potential infiltration, she simply decided to make a run for it.

_I don’t know if they have control of the elevators, so my best bet at escaping would be the stairs. There are twelve floors above ground that I know of, including the penthouse, and I’m currently on the seventh one. Taking the stairs will take me a while and they’ll inevitably cut me off before I can reach the bottom, or they will wait for me there. Plus, with all of the cameras around, it’ll hard for me to make a move they won’t be able to handle—_

An idea suddenly popped into her head. Usually, people underestimated her because of her gender, her age, her height, or just her general appearance. However, whoever had taken her hadn’t: they knew whom they were dealing with—or in a rather superficial way, at least. They expected her to be an extremely skilled agent worthy of being a member of the Zodiac, and they surely knew a lot if Inu— _Reaper_ collaborated with them.

_Meaning they don’t expect me to make a stupid move… which is exactly what I’m about to do._

Holding back a grin, Ame forgot about the stairs and started running down the hallway, straight toward the elevators. The sudden movement certainly caught the attention of whoever was watching her through the cameras because, barely a few seconds later, heavy footsteps and muffled shouts started echoing from all around. Then, at once, a group of men in suits appeared at the other end of the hallway. Completely ignoring them, she stepped onto the elevator, and the doors closed just before they could reach her.

_Let’s get this party started!_

* * *

_A few minutes earlier_

.

.

“Boss, she’s awake.”

A black-haired man opened his eyes, revealing reddish irises. Tanaka Sho hadn’t been sleeping, impatiently waiting for the wakening of their new guest, and it would seem it was finally time. Stretching his arms, he then rose from the couch and walked over to the numerous screens and computers set up in the back of the room, before which sat a single, orange-haired woman.

“What’s she doing?” he asked, peering at one screen in particular.

The girl they had abducted not even twenty-four hours earlier was already fully awake, a clear proof of the resistance to somniferous substances she had developed over the years. She was sitting on the bed, closely examining every corner of the room, and her eyes lingering a little longer on the camera through which they were observing her. Then, without warning, her handcuffs came off and fell on the floor.

“Michael’s the one who put them on!” instantly exclaimed a blond-haired man, pointing accusingly man in question. “He’s the one who put the handcuffs wrong!”

“I didn’t _put them wrong!”_ instantly refuted the red-haired man. “I know how to handcuff someone just fine!”

“Oh yeah? Then how did she free herself so easily?”

“I don’t know, but at least _I’m_ not the idiot who got stabbed by a katana, uh?”

“Why you—“

“Chamuel, Michael, enough,” sighed another man with dark, greenish hair. “She’s obviously skilled with picking locks, is all. Honestly, it’s not a surprise considering _who_ she is.”

“Ariel is right. We ought not to let our guard down with her,” nodded the woman, before glancing at the man beside her. “Boss, should we send someone?”

“No, Gabrielle, I want to see what she’ll do next,” instantly refused the black-haired leader, leaning a little closer to the screen. “I want to see what Saru’s cherished apprentice is made of.”

“She’s still just a kid,” snorted a purple-haired man, currently sharpening a knife. “No matter how skilled she might be, she’s just a brat with no killing intent. And, in our world, if she doesn’t aim to kill, then she’s as good as done for.”

“That might be so, Jophiel, but that certainly won’t stop her,” mused Ariel. 

On the screen, Ame had dashed for the door and had easily broken the lock with a well-calculated kick. She left the room, though she instantly reappeared on the next screen. Once more, she quickly examined her surroundings, spotting the cameras once again. She was tensed, ready to pounce at the single sign of a threat.

“She looks like a scared little kitten,” grinned Michael. “How cute, really, thinking she can actually escape from us.”

She suddenly started running. Not wasting a second, the orange-haired woman pressed on a button, sending a group of their men after her. They couldn’t make it _too_ easy, either.

Chamuel gasped. “Is she going to take the elevator?”

“Of course not,” scoffed the red-haired man, rolling his eyes. “As if she’d be dumb enough to—“

“She’s taking the elevator,” cut off Gabrielle in a flat tone.

Everyone instantly fell silent. They hadn’t expected her to actually make such a stupid move. Had she not expected them to have control over the elevators? Only the black-haired leader didn’t seem all that surprised, though, as he stared at the new screen where images from inside the elevator were displayed. The girl, Naoki Ame, suddenly looked up to the camera and, next thing they knew, the screen went blank.

“We lost the camera,” announced Gabrielle with a mild frown.

“Wait, how’d she do that?” exclaimed Chamuel.

“Looks like _someone_ didn’t properly strip her of her weapons,” drawled Michael.

“I checked everywhere I could check, and Gabrielle took care of the rest!” protested the blond.

“She’s obviously heading for the bottom floor,” pointed out Ariel, ever the strategist. “Gabrielle, take control of the elevator and stop her at the first floor. Send ten of our men there, and ten of them at the second floor.”

“Boss?” 

“Do as Ariel says,” confirmed the leader, smirking a bit. “Let’s see how far she’ll manage to go.”

So, the orange-haired woman did as asked and quickly got to work. In less than thirty seconds, ten men had surrounded the elevator doors on the first floor, and ten more did the same on the second floor. However, when the doors on the first floor opened… she wasn’t inside. Two men went in to check, only to find the trap on the ceiling wide open.

“Is she trying to climb up the elevator conduct?” wondered Chamuel.

“No,” instantly corrected Ariel, looking more closely at the screen. He then grinned a bit. “Clever girl. She’s still inside.”

“What?”

* * *

Ame breathed in deeply. She had hoped her little ruse would be enough to deceive them but, after a moment, she realized that the men weren’t leaving to “go after her”, meaning whoever was leading hadn’t fallen for it. 

_Plan B, then._

At once, she kicked open the side panel of the elevator behind which she had been hiding. She had managed to unscrew it from the wall after blinding the camera, but it would seem her efforts had only served to buy her some time. So, kicking it open, she managed to knock down the two men still inside. Grabbing the metal panel, she then pounced outside and rammed into the five men standing before her. Then, swinging it around, she knocked out another one. Just as the eighth one got close enough, she kicked him harshly in the guts, and then slammed the panel into the face of the last one. She then dropped it onto the five men still lying on the ground for good measure. After what, she quickly grabbed the stun gun hanging to one of the men’s belt, hesitantly took a hold of another’s gun, then rose back to her feet. Looking up, she stared straight at the camera and, gritting her teeth, she aimed and fired. 

It would seem that whatever had happened with Takaoka had gotten rid of her trauma because, while the sound still shocked the hell out of her, it wasn’t unbearable. Quickly shaking off the flashbacks, she then made a beeline for the staircase nearby. 

“Oh, come on!”

As soon as she reached them, though, she found another dozen of men waiting for her. Many of those she had just knocked down were regaining their senses and rising back to their feet, and she soon found herself completely surrounded. Narrowing her eyes, she then slowly raised her hands.

“Alright, alright, I give,” she stated, offering a sheepish smile. “Can’t blame me for trying, right? But I can see when I’m at a disadvantage. However…” Her smile suddenly turned to a grin. “Doesn’t mean I like losing!”

She pounced, jumping over the railing. She instantly started falling, but she managed to catch the gigantic crystal chandelier at the last moment. Instantly, many of the men started heading downstairs and gathering under it in order to block her escape route, but she simply climbed _inside_ of it. Without warning, a flash of silver suddenly caught the light, before the chandelier suddenly shook. Time seemed to still, then—

“Timber!!!”

—it started falling. Panicked shouts echoed and all of the men in suits started running for cover as the chandelier crashed on the piano under it. Crystal shards flew all around as a cacophonic chaos took over the entire room.

* * *

“Well, talk about reckless,” sweatdropped Michael.

“Did she just kill herself?” deadpanned Jophiel, unimpressed. 

“She must have planned something else,” protested Chamuel. “Ariel, what do you think?”

The green-haired man shrugged. “Hard to understand what’s going on in her head. She keeps making decisions apparently stupid that end up working out somehow.”

“She wasn’t in the chandelier,” suddenly announced Gabrielle. “We just lost two cameras in the hallway. She’s already made a run for it.”

“What? How?” 

“She jumped just as the chandelier started falling,” explained Tanaka, looking greatly entertained. “It was quite risky. A single wrong move and she would have been taken down with it. Where is she now?”

“Surely outside, at that point. She apparently knew about the backdoor and managed to make her way through during the confusion. The blinded cameras were just another trick to get us off track,” scowled Gabrielle, not appreciating how she had been fooled so easily.

“But there’s nothing on that side of the hotel,” pointed out Chamuel, confused. “There’s just a cliff side. How does she intend to escape that way?”

“Probably by climbing down. Her and her classmates infiltrated the Citadel not that long ago, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was how they managed to get inside in the first place,” pointed out Ariel, rubbing his temples. “Boss, we should probably send one of ours, now. At the pace things are going, she’ll manage to make it down the mountain, and then it’ll be a hassle to find her and drag her back in here.”

“Don’t worry, Ariel,” chuckled the dark-haired leader. “I’ve seen enough. I’ve already sent Azrael after her.”

“I do hope you told him not to kill her,” drawled Jophiel. “Otherwise, it’s game over for her.”

At that, Tanaka Sho paused. “… right. Forgot about that.”

* * *

Ame let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding as the fresh hair it her face and filled her lungs. It was probably the middle of the afternoon, so not the greatest moment to escape unnoticed, but it was a little late for subtlety at that point. So, not wasting any time, she dashed the cliff side. Just as she reached it, however, her guts suddenly churned painfully. Instantly, she dropped to the ground, and three knives embedded themselves just before her. The adrenaline started pumping faster through her veins as she jumped back to her feet, tensed, her gun now aimed at the newcomer.

_He’s different._

A man with indigo hair wearing a black hoodie was now standing before her, hands shoved in his pockets and his face completely unreadable. A black mask usually worn by sickly people covered his lower face, and his pale, grey eyes expressed no emotion whatsoever.

_DANGER DANGER DANGER—_

He moved. She instantly kicked two more knives away and managed to grab the other two before they could hit her face, instantly throwing them back. He moved, but it looked like he was sliding soundlessly on the ground as he got too close too quickly. She was forced to drop the gun and she raised her arms just in time to defend herself from his punch, but the strength behind it was enough to make her bones crack. She slid backward for about two meters, managing to stay on her feet but said feet digging into the ground.

_What the hell kind of strength is that!?_

Taking a hold of three of the knives on the ground, she then threw them back. Her new foe easily deflected them, but what he didn’t expect was the needles hidden underneath the blades. Her three needles met their target and he stumbled back as they embedded themselves into his left shoulder, torso and stomach, respectively. Unfortunately, they weren’t laced with any poison, so they wouldn’t get him off her back, but they still hurt, so there was that. Grabbing two more knives, the girl then took a defensive stance. In such a situation, attacking him head on wouldn’t work in her favour, so she needed to wait and find the right opening. Before she could try to plan anything, though, he was on the move again.

 _So fast! But—_ Her eyes hardened.— _no as fast as Korosensei!_

After seeing that dumb octopus every single day for months, she had gotten used to his insane speed, and anything that moved under Mach 20 speed now looked _slow_ to her. Sure, he had taken her by surprise at first, what with being much faster than any normal human being, but she could now read his movements like an open book. Of course, she wasn’t delusional enough to believe she could actually land a hit, so she simply kept defending herself.

_I’ll have to seriously thank Karasuma-sensei for his self-defence lessons, uh?_

She kicked her leg upward and he instantly grabbed it, but she used the opportunity to kick her other leg up, her knee hitting the needle in his stomach. He grunted as the needle embedded itself even deeper and, though she had stabbed herself a little, it had totally been worth it—because since the needle was so thin, it had broken at the impact. Metallic shards fell on the ground, but the rest was still stuck in his body. She instantly swung her right hand at him, the knife lightly scratching his forehead. He released her, stumbling back a bit as the front of his black hoodie grew slightly damp, and a fine trail of blood escaped from the small scratch on his forehead.

 _I didn’t hit anything vital, but that ought to give me a small advantage, still,_ she rationalized, taking back her stance. _Now’s my only chance!_

She certainly wasn’t as fast as him, but she was much faster than the average human, too. Plus, after escaping from Korosensei so many times, and after all of those training regimen with the girls, she had greatly developed her speed and her stamina. So, not wasting any more time, she pounced. She threw her two knives, making him stumble back some more, which gave just the opening she needed. She was aiming for his throat, hoping it’d be enough to give her the right occasion she needed to make a run for the cliff side. However, just as she reached him, a disgusting feeling of dread crashed on her. Her heart seemed to stop beating as her muscles stiffened, fear slithering through her veins. She could barely breathe as she froze in place, panic filling her mind.

_So- so much killing intent…!_

“Argh!”

Pain suddenly flared in her right thigh, snapping out of her daze. Jumping backward to put some distance between them, she then pulled out the small dart embedded in her thigh. So focused on the threat before her, she had failed to notice the other one coming right behind her. Out of nowhere, a blue-haired man had blown a dart her way, and she hadn’t been able to avoid it. With the pain came a wave of dizziness, and she dropped the knives as her muscles went numb, no longer answering her will. She was forced to place a knee on the ground to avoid completely collapsing, and she glared at the newcomer who had interfered with their fight.

“Fascinating,” he mused, readjusting his glasses and peering at her with unbound curiosity. “So you truly have built an immunity to somniferous substances, poisons, drugs, and things alike?”

“What- what the hell is that…?” she groaned, her vision a tad blurry.

“Well, normally, that shot would have knocked out anyone in the span of three seconds,” he mused, kneeling before her. “I’ve never seen anyone awake after being injected with it, so it truly is very interesting! Tell me, how do you feel? Dizzy? I’m guessing you can’t move at all, but you can speak, and you still have coherent thoughts—uh?”

He blinked a few times in confusion before his eyes widened in mild horror. Barely a few centimeters away from his forehead was now a very sharp and very deadly needle, just shy of piercing his skull. The girl was glaring at him, bead of sweats now running down her face as her hand shook. The only reason she hadn’t killed him on the spot was because his friend in the black hoodie had moved too fast for the eye to follow and had grabbed her arm in the nick of time. The blue-haired man gulped, readjusting his glasses as he quickly rose back to his feet.

“We- well, it looks like you _c- can_ move, after all, a- albeit it probably has more to do with- with your willpower than your phy- physical abilities at that p- point,” he stuttered out, obviously very shaken by the whole ordeal.

The man still holding her arm tightened his grip, and she dropped her needle. His curiosity getting the best of him, the blue-haired man picked it up.

“Don’t- don’t touch that,” she growled. Then, her eyes widened and she slapped her free hand over her mouth. “Ugh, I think I’m gonna be sick… Ow!”

The indigo-haired man still holding her arm had tightened his grip even more and, even though the pain managed to drag her out of the drug-induced haze, it _hurt._ A little more and he’d certainly break her arm and, well, she kind of needed it if she wanted to escape.

“Azrael, enough,” then warned the blue-haired man, finally getting over the whole _almost-got-killed_ incident. “Boss needs her alive.”

The man released her, albeit reluctantly. Breathing heavily, the teen closed her eyes, trying to regain her senses. She had no idea of what she had been injected with, but it certainly wasn’t a normal medicine. Homebrew? The blue-haired man reminded her of a mad scientist, so he was probably the one who created it. Before she could think any longer on it, though, she was roughly pulled back to her feet. Opening her eyes, she realized it was two of the men in suits she had beaten up earlier. One was bleeding profusely from the head, and the other had an ugly-looking bruise blooming on the right side of his face.

“Err, sorry ‘bout that…” she mumbled as they started dragging her inside. “Nothin’ personal, right…?”

They didn’t answer, and Ame fell silent. At that point, it was better to cut her losses and wait to see what would happen next. She obviously wouldn’t be able to escape in that state, and she had lost the surprise effect. She no longer had any weapon, and exhaustion was catching up to her now that the adrenaline started fading out of her bloodstream. So, she decided to focus on fighting off the effects of the drug at the moment. The process plunged her in a semi-unconscious state, but it’s not like she could do anything else at the moment. 

At some point, she felt something soft under her body, and she heard some buzzing noises. Voices, obviously, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. But then, she felt something approaching her face, and she reacted. Moving without thinking, she grabbed the wrist of whoever had been trying to close in on her, stopping them right in their tracks. Cracking her eyes open, she glared at the dark, blurry figure crouching before her.

“Don’t touch me,” she growled, her throat feeling painfully dry.

But then, she caught a whiff of whatever the figure was holding. It was a small bottle, that much she somehow managed to see, but the smell was familiar.

_Salts…?_

She breathed in deeply. Almost instantly, the sharp smell of the salts chased the fog that had spread through her mind, and she felt her muscles relax, finally able to move again. Her breathing regained a regular pace, and she finally regained her sight. As her vision refocused, she found reddish eyes staring right at her. Her own eyes instantly flew wide open and she released the man’s wrist as if she had been burned, panic growing again.

::

_"Saru? Saru! Where are you!?"_

_"Ooh? Look at that! Looks like someone found you after all. Who's she, your daughter? How unfortunate, really."_

_"D- don't touch her! Ame, get out of here! Call for backup!"_

::

_There’s no way- there’s no way that he—_

::

_"Ame, watch out!"_

_The gun fired._

::

_HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD—_

“Whoa, didn’t know Boss was so scary.”

She inhaled sharply, snapping back to reality. Instantly, she forgot about the all-too-familiar man before her and looked around. She couldn’t see any of the men in suits, but there were seven other people—six men and one woman, plus the man still crouching before her. 

She instantly recognized the one wearing the black hoodie that was hanging in the back, and also the bespectacled blue-haired one sitting at a small table. In front of him was seated a man with greenish hair and a mole on his chin. On the couch next to them was a man with fiery red hair that was staring at her with obvious amusement, and just next to him was a younger guy with blond hair, who was actually glaring at her. On the opposite wall was leaning a man with a leather jacket and purple hair that reminded her of Ritsu, and he was sharpening a knife. Finally, sitting in front of the numerous screens and computers in the back of the room was an orange-haired woman, who didn’t look that impressed.

“What…” Ame was honestly confused. “Who the hell are you?”

“Well, it looks like she’s back to being the lively, lethal spitfire you guys abducted,” snorted the knife-guy. “Are you sure you didn’t go a little easy on the drug, Raphael?”

“The dose in injected her with could have knocked you out in an instant, Jophiel,” huffed the blue-haired man, readjusting his glasses again. “She simply possesses a greater resistance than expected.”

“I’m guessing you guys are part of a rival gang to whom Reaper sold out our info but _seriously,_ who _are_ you people?” grunted Ame, sitting up. Her head hurt a little, but it didn’t matter at the moment, and she lifted an eyebrow. “The Rainbow Gang?”

“What—how could you _not_ know who we are?” exclaimed the blond, annoyed. 

“Yeah, how could you possibly forget the guy you stabbed with a katana?” added the red-haired one, smirking.

The blond instantly glared at him. “For the last time, how was I supposed to know she’d pull a goddamn katana from under her bed? I mean, who _does_ that!?”

“So you two are the one who kidnapped me,” understood Ame, rubbing her temples. At that point, though, her annoyance had reached its breaking point. “Still doesn’t tell me anything, though. You know, I just had a pretty shitty week: my classmates were almost killed, I was betrayed by one of my closest friends, I almost _died_ after bein’ shot by said former friend, and _then_ I was attacked in ma own damn home by some random people and when I woke up, I was in a place I had hoped I’d never see again in my fucking life and _trust me,_ having ta run for ya fucking life is da worst wake-up call _ever_ so tell me what da hell is going on _right fuckin’ now_ or I swear ta God, I’ll beat da shit out of someone ‘til I get ma damn answers, got it!?!”

There was a moment of silence during which all eight of them stared at her with varying degrees of amusement, annoyance, or mere surprise. Then, the reddish-eyed man started laughing as he rose back to his feet.

“Wow, you sure got one hell of a temper, uh?” he grinned. “But fair enough. My name is Tanaka Sho and, as you’ve surely guessed, you are in the Citadel, the headquarters of _Coup de Grâce.”_

…

…

…

“I’m sorry.” Ame rubbed her ears a bit. “You’re saying _you_ are _Coup de Grâce?_ The same gang that’s been a pain in our ass for years?”

“That’s a crude way of putting it, but I guess you’re not entirely wrong,” he mused.

“And you’re the leader?”

“Exactly! And the seven other people in this room are my top officers!” He gestured to the others, instantly moving on with the introductions. “That’s Chamuel, the guy you stabbed with a katana—“

_“I wasn’t stabbed by the katana!”_

“—then there’s Michael, our fighting expert. There’s Raphael, the one who used that drug on you, and Azrael’s the guy you fought outside—wait. Why do you still have those needles in you?”

“They’ll break if he tries to pull them out,” answered helpfully Ame, wondering if there was an end to the madness. 

“Really? Well, Raphael, please go help him out with that,” ordered the leader. “Don’t want our pro assassin bleeding out, do we?”

“Right on it, Boss. Come on, Azrael.”

The masked man didn’t answer, simply following the blue-haired guy outside.

“So, where was I…? Ah, right! There’s Jophiel, our weapon master and sniper extraordinaire, and there’s also Ariel, the tactician,” then pursued Tanaka, gesturing to the knife-guy and the greenish-haired one respectively. “Finally, we have Gabrielle, the hacking expert and the one in charge of security. Did I get everyone? Yeah, I think I did…”

“I have another question,” announced Ame, raising her hand. 

“Yes?”

 _“Why_ did you just tell me all of this?” she asked in a flat tone.

“I’m kind of with her on this one, Boss,” grunted Jophiel, putting away his knife. “Why would you tell her about us?”

“Well, she ought to know who she’ll be working with from now on, doesn’t she?”

…

…

…

“ _WHAT!?”_

That had been her, Chamuel, Michael, and Jophiel. Gabrielle didn’t shout along, but her eyes _did_ widen slightly, a clear sign she hadn’t expected this. Only Ariel didn’t seem all that surprised, though that was probably because he knew his leader a tad too well.

“What’s with those faces?” mused Tanaka, his grin widening. “You’ve all seen what she’s capable of, didn’t you? With some more training, she could easily keep up with the rest of you.”

“You know, I’m flattered and all, but I’m _really_ not interested,” deadpanned Ame. “Can I go home now?”

“I’m afraid you don’t have much of a choice on the matter, dear,” shrugged Tanaka, going to sit on the sole empty chair. 

“I’m a member of the Zodiac,” she snapped, jumping to her feet. “As if I’d ever betray them, let alone join your little terrorist group!”

“In two days, the Zodiac will be wiped out of existence,” replied harshly the black-haired leader, his eyes growing cold. “Your first purpose here is, as you’ve surely guessed by now, to act as bait and hostage. Once the other members surrender, they’ll all be killed. And, once they’re dead, you’ll have no one to go back to, will you?”

“If a single one of them dies because of you, I’ll be the one to take your head,” she swore darkly.

“Like Sarutook my father’s?” he drawled. She stilled, though he didn’t notice. “Many years ago, my father was a member of the Zodiac known as Inu. And yet, after so many years of loyal service, your precious leader killed him in cold blood. I will avenge my father!” After a moment of silence… he _snorted._ “Or at least, that’s what I’d like to say but, at that point, it’s really mostly about business. My father was a brilliant man but, unfortunately, he was also an arrogant one—he couldn’t keep his mouth shut, and that’s what got him killed. I inherited his fortune and his organization, and I learned from his mistakes. I’m not about to decimate the Zodiac because of a personal vendetta, but because you’re annoying. Always throwing wrenches into my plans and overall acting like a giant pain in the ass…” He shrugged, his confident smirk irking her beyond belief. “It’ll simply be killing two birds with one stone. Poetic, don’t you think?”

“… you said _mostly._ You do want to avenge your father, don’t you?”

“Perceptive, aren’t you? But yes, I do want to avenge him… in a way that’ll clean our name of the shame he brought upon us when he lost to _Saru,”_ he spat. He then gestured to her. “Abducting his little protégé was sure to get his attention, and he won’t do anything rash. He knows he’s the one I want, and the rest of the Zodiac will simply fall along with him once the plan is set into motion.”

Ame clenched her fists. “What if I killed you now?”

He simply looked amused. “You don’t have the guts to take a life. _However,_ until we’ve fully decimated your little organization, I can’t risk having you run off and cause havoc, so…”

Her eyes went wide and she threw herself on the ground, just in time to avoid Jophiel, who had thrown himself at her. She instantly made a move for the door but, just as she opened it, the weapon master rammed into her and slammed her into it, which snapped it shut. Struggling, she wasn’t in the right position to defend herself, though, and she couldn’t do anything as something cold wrapped itself around her neck. Jophiel only released her once he was done and she dropped to her knees, staring in confusion and wariness at what was now attached to her neck.

_What the hell…?_

It was a necklace, a choker. She could feel a metallic wire inside the black velvet collar, and there was a fake ruby pendant attached to it.

“It’s a bomb,” then cheerfully informed Tanaka Sho. She snapped her eyes to him, horrified, and he waved, a little detonator in his hand. “The only way to take off the necklace is with a key and, if you take it off without it, it’ll explode instantly. There’s also a detector so if you step outside the Citadel, it’ll explode. And, of course, I have a detonator in case you cause too much trouble.” 

His grin turned sinister, and she couldn’t help but shiver. If she made one wrong move, she’d die and, after what had happened with Inu, she had realized that she simply wasn’t ready to die.

_Saru… Everyone…_

“So, just stay still and be a good girl, alright? I promise you’ll get to say goodbye to your friends before I kill all of them~!”

_I’m scared… Please, help me!_

* * *

.

.

“It’ll happen in two days.”

Everyone stilled at Saru’s announcement. The man looked gravely at his fellow Zodiac members, then to the students around them. They had all been working very hard to come up with a plan to save their friend, and he could only be thankful.

“I’ve received word from Tanaka Sho. A party will be held at the Citadel in two days, and I’m the only one allowed to enter.” Heaving out a sigh, his eyes then hardened. “Ready, everyone?”

All of the students nodded firmly, and Rio looked back at the map before them. They all knew the plan, they all knew what they had to do, and they’d make their move in two days

_It’s time._

Karma narrowed his eyes. They still had to work out some of the details, but he knew they could make it—they _had_ to make it.

_It’s time._

Isogai simply clenched his fists, determination settling in his gaze. 

_It’s time. Ame… Don’t worry, we’re coming for you!_


	30. Thirtieth Period: Rescue Party Time PART 1

A very special party was to be held at the Citadel. The guests, all people of high standing from all across the world, would be entertained with gourmet food, talented musicians, and even an auction. Powerful and influential figures would fill the ballroom with their richly decorated gowns, costly suits, and their masks. After all, they couldn’t trust anyone in such a place where less than legal deeds and deals would surely take place.

This was also when _they_ would strike.

**“Saru, you’ll arrive in exactly fourteen minutes.”**

The man nodded, gazing outside as the citadel came into view. “Alright. What’s our status?”

 **“Attention, Zodiac and Class E!”** called Usagi. **“Is everyone in position?”**

 **“Team 1-A in position,”** confirmed Nagisa.

 **“Team 1-B in position,”** confirmed Karasuma.

 **“Team 2 in position,”** confirmed Same.

 **“Team 3 in position!”** confirmed Ritsu.

 **“Team 4 in position,”** confirmed Yagi.

 **“Team 5 in position,”** confirmed Karasu.

 **“That’s everyone, then,”** concluded Usagi. **“Ready when you are, Leader.”**

“Then let’s get this show on the road. Listen up! This rescue mission begins _now_!”

**“Yes, sir!”**

* * *

_A few minutes earlier_

_Citadel_

.

.

Ame glared at her reflection in the mirror. Not only was she a prisoner, but she was also treated like some- some sort of _doll._ Frankly, had it not been for the lingering threat of the bomb-necklace attached to her neck, she’d have tried another risky escape attempt already. However, she didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, and she ended up having to wear… _that._

“I don’t get why you’re so mad. You look pretty cute.”

She shifted her glare from her reflection to the infuriating red-haired man. “I’m not a fucking _toy._ You know, I don’t think playing dress-up is a part of the kidnapping contract.”

Because she was now wearing a _dress,_ of all things. Now, she had nothing against dresses, but they were rather difficult to move around in a fight, they didn’t offer any protection or mobility, they easily go dirty, and they were, overall, very impractical. Sure, the dress was pretty: simple, black satin, plus a red belt that matched the goddam _bomb-necklace,_ but the mere fact that it was Tanaka Sho who had picked it out for her made her skin crawl in disgust. 

“Well, we can’t have you showing up at the party in the same clothes you’ve been wearing for the last three days, can we?” Michael replied with a shrug. He had quickly gotten used to her sarcastic remarks. “Anyway, we’ve got to get going. Ready?”

“You’re asking if I’m ready to watch my friends get killed before being forcibly enrolled into a terrorist group,” she deadpanned, though she did follow him outside.

He rolled his eyes as they started walking down the hallway. “Stop acting so dramatic. You know, every hero has a tragic backstory. That’ll just be yours.”

“Is that how you see yourself, then?” she asked, a tad curious. “A hero?”

“Heroes, villains… In the end, I’d say all humans are a little bit of both,” he answered, startling her a bit by his honesty. He then smirked. “I just decided to do whatever I wanted. If that’s enough to have me labeled as a villain, though, that’s not really my problem, is it?”

“Is that why you follow Tanaka? Because he lets you do whatever you want?”

“Life debt,” he simply shrugged again. “I do have a moral code—it just isn’t defined by any of the standards laid down by society.”

“Pretty words for a _terrorist,”_ she grunted.

“Aren’t you acting a little hypocritical? The only difference between our two organizations is that _you_ instigate disasters while _we_ actually make them happen,” he then pointed out, roughly poking her forehead. “Don’t go thinking you’re on the right side of morality—you’re an _info-broker,_ a member of the Underworld. Once you’re in, you don’t get out.”

“You think I don’t know that?” she huffed, rubbing her forehead, annoyed. “I’ve been in this business for almost a decade now, so don’t you start lecturing me about morality! But if you really want to understand _why_ I’m so against _Coup de Grâce,_ it’s because you guys act on _whims._ You kill and destroy and create general chaos _just for the hell of it._ Now, I’m certainly not stupid enough to believe the Zodiac are the good guys, but at least _we_ don’t do what we do out of sheer malice.”

“Nothing personal, just business. Now, are you done with your existential crisis, or do you need a minute to shed a few tears, too?”

“Tche, asshole.”

“Brat.”

They reached the end of the hallway and stopped before the elevator doors. They opened, revealing none other than Tanaka Sho. He smiled cheerfully when seeing them, and his reddish eyes that painfully reminded her of the first Inu seemed to be of a darker shade because of the mask now covering the higher half of his face.

“A masked ball, really?” she deadpanned, joining him inside. Michael went to stand to her left, and the doors closed. “It’s pretty cliché, you know.”

“Clichés are clichés because they work,” he replied amicably. “Now, wear this. Can’t make it _too_ easy for your Zodiac friends, can we?”

She refrained the urge to grab the mask he was handing her and throw it at his face. Getting him mad now wouldn’t work in her favour, and it’d surely screw up whatever plan the Zodiac had surely already set in motion. So, gritting her teeth, she took the mask, before glancing at Michael. A similar mask already occupied the red-haired man’s face, though his was red while Tanaka’s and her’s were black. Heaving out a sigh, she then put it on. Just as she finished tying the ribbons behind her head, the doors of the elevator opened, and Tanaka offered his arm to her with a cheerful smile.

“Shall we?”

She linked her arm with his, looking straight ahead and swallowing back all of the insults and curses that flew to her mind.

“Not like I have much of a choice in the matter.”

_You’re smiling now, but we’ll see who gets the last laugh, Tanaka Sho._

* * *

_“The first part of the plan is your usual infiltration. Of course, it won’t be easy, even more so considering the heavy security that will be put in place, but we can make it. Since we’ll need many people inside in order for the operation to go smoothly, though, we’ll have to split Team 1 into two groups. The first group will infiltrate the Citadel before the party even begins. Since Tanaka wants to play with clichés, we’ll play along.”_

* * *

**“Okajima, stop eyeing the female guests and focus on the mission!”**

**“So- sorry, Fuwa-chan.”**

**“There are many people, but I can’t see Ame anywhere. I’d say the masks are both a blessing and a curse for us, uh?”**

“I’m sure we’ll find her, Maehara-kun. She’ll surely be accompanied, and we know what she looks like,” reasoned Nagisa, carefully eyeing the crowd. “All we need to do is make brief contact so she can tell us what we need to know.”

 **“Easier said than done,”** sighed Maehara. **“There are many teens around, too. They’re probably here in place of their rich parents or something. She—“**

“Oi, waiter boy! We need more champagne over here!” 

Nagisa jumped. “R- right away, sir!”

Shoving the tray under his arm, he quickly made his way to one of the numerous tables, though he carefully watched all of the guests. Thankfully enough, with the brown wig covering his blue hair, he easily passed unnoticed. He, Okajima, Fuwa, and Maehara had volunteered to be a part of Team 1-A, the first infiltration group: earlier in the day, they had entered the Citadel as extra staff members employed specifically for the party. Maehara had found himself working at the bar, somehow, and Okajima acted as a doorman at the main entrance, while Fuwa and Nagisa ended up as waiters, which allowed them to mix up with the crowd. And, of course, they were all wearing masks, which greatly helped with blending in.

**“Oh, guys! I’ve got a visual! Ame just came through the side door!”**

**“What does she look like?”** instantly asked Fuwa.

**“Black dress, black mask. She’s with another black-haired guy with the same mask, and there’s also a red-haired one with a red mask just behind them.”**

**“I see her now,”** suddenly announced Maehara. **“I think they’re heading for the lodges, though, so we need to make our move now!”**

“I still can’t see her,” replied Nagisa, frowning as he scanned the crowd. “Fuwa-san?”

 **“I see them, but the red-haired guy means trouble. We need to distract him and Ame’s escort if we want to make contact!”** warned Fuwa, sounding a little distressed.

**“Don’t worry guys, Team 1-B is here to help!”**

“Nakamura-san!” breathed out Nagisa, relieved.

* * *

_“The second group of Team 1 will infiltrate as guests. However, since they will most certainly check the identities of everyone who comes through, no one from the Zodiac can do it—and the same counts for the first group. So, while it is risky, Team 1 as a whole will have to infiltrate the Citadel on their own.”_

* * *

“Don’t worry guys, we managed to make it inside just fine,” assured Rio, grinning a bit. “I’m on the dance floor with Karma right now. Is she nearby?”

 **“Y- yeah, she’s on the left side, not too far from the bar,”** confirmed Maehara.

“I see her now,” confirmed Karma, before spinning his blonde partner around. “We’ll be closing in to make an indirect contact.”

 **“Be careful, you two,”** ordered Karasuma. **“Irina and I are just near them, but we’ll be much more suspicious than just a couple of kids dancing around.”**

* * *

_“I can’t just let them go in on their own, either. Irina and I will also infiltrate as guests. Surely, that is feasible, right?”_

* * *

**“Mou, why didn’t you invite me to dance, Karasuma?”** whined Irina.

“Not the time, Bitch-sensei,” sweatdropped Rio. Then, her eyes widened slightly. “I see her now! It’s time for the first contact.”

As they spun closer to the trio, Rio stared insistently at Ame. As expected, the girl’s sharp senses almost instantly picked it up, and she started looking around, albeit subtly. A few seconds later, her eyes met Rio’s, and they widened in surprise. Her startled expression quickly smoothed over and back to her unreadable one, though. Karma spun Rio once more, this time making eye contact with Ame, and he subtly switched his gaze from her to the red-haired man behind her, then back to her. 

* * *

Frankly, Ame had been expecting many things, but the E-Class showing up hadn’t been one of them. Thinking quickly, though, she realized that Tanaka surely wouldn’t have expected such a turn of event, either. In the end, the Zodiac and the E-Class teaming up was the best course of action Saru could have taken. Now, though, there was the matter of making contact and telling them about a particular bomb attached to her neck…

“Ooh, I’m _soooo_ thirsty! Why don’t you go and grab me a drink, my darling~?”

_I’d know that slutty voice anywhere!_

Ame didn’t turn around, though, and simply stopped. Tanaka also stopped, glancing at her.

“What is it?”

“Can I have some water?” she simply asked, tightening her grip a bit. “I’ll be very frank with you: I think I’m going to be sick.”

“A, the stress got the best of you, uh?” he chuckled, lightly patting her head. She refrained the urge to bite his hand, and stayed still. “But I guess there’s no problem. I’m getting rather thirsty myself. Michael, do you mind going to grab us something at the bar?”

“Right away, Boss.”

 _Wait, why didn’t he ask a waiter to do it? Why not go to the bar ourselves?_ Maybe she was looking into it too much, but she couldn’t help it—her mind was in overdrive now that the game was starting. _There’s something in the drinks, isn’t there?_

She looked up to Tanaka, her eyes narrowed slightly. He blinked, surprised when seeing her look, before laughing lightly.

“So you noticed, uh? Color me impressed.”

“What’s in the drinks?” she asked warily.

“Trust me, dear, you don’t want to—“

“Gah!”

Out of nowhere, another dancing couple suddenly rammed right into him. Tanaka stumbled back a bit, letting go of Ame, and the girl was careful not to let the surprise show on her face. Although they were also wearing masks, she easily recognized the “couple”.

“I- I’m so terribly sorry about this!” Kanzaki bowed deeply. “I didn’t realize we were so close to other people! I’m so, so sorry!”

“We deeply apologize!” added Isogai, bowing even lower. “How could we ever repay you for this blunder?”

Tanaka sweatdropped at that. “It- it’s fine, kids. Just go and have your fun—“

“No, we insist!”

“We’re sorry!”

“We have to make up for it!”

“We truly apologize!”

While Tanaka struggled to say something through the profusion of apologies from the two teens, Ame felt a light tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw yet another familiar face.

“A drink, miss?” asked Nagisa, bowing his head.

“No, thank you,” she refused, shaking her head with a small, genuine smile. “I’m afraid there’s something I just can’t stand in those alcoholic beverages.”

“Very well. If you find yourself in need of anything, you may ask me or my fellow waitress behind you,” he replied simply.

_Ah, clever boy._

Not having to move an inch, she quickly started signing in her back. Everyone had been trained in sign language, after all. 

* * *

_“Something in the drinks. Careful. Bomb in the necklace. Tanaka has the detonator. Can’t go out. Detector. Be careful. Don’t do anything stupid.”_

Fuwa sighed in relief. “Alright, everyone. We’ve managed to establish contact with Ame.”

 **“Good job, kids! So? What did she say?”** asked Usagi.

“She said there was something in the drinks, and that there’s a bomb hidden in the necklace she’s wearing. Tanaka has the detonator and she can’t get out of the Citadel because of it, either,” relayed the wannabe detective. “I had a feeling about the drinks, though. They’ve been bringing in coffers of some blue powder in the kitchens since the beginning of the afternoon, after all—I just didn’t realize they’d actually be targeting the guests.”

 **“Surely a side mission, of a sort,”** pointed out Hebi. **“Since all of the guests are so rich, _Coup de Grâce_ is probably planning on robbing them blind before escaping, or they’re going to hold them hostage and demand a ransom from their families. Thankfully, we were already planning on raiding their secret lab, so we’ll surely find the antidote there.”**

 **“I’ll take care of Ame’s bomb-necklace once we’re inside,”** added Buta. **“Until then, the plan stays the same.”**

 **“Good job, Team 1,”** then praised Saru. **“I’ll be going in, now, so stay sharp.”**

“Oh, one last thing!” Fuwa recalled, grinning a bit. “Ame says to be careful and to not do anything stupid.”

At that, some laughs buzzed through the ear-com for a few seconds.

All was going according to plan.

* * *

By the time Tanaka managed to shoo away the duo of apologizing kids, Nagisa was already far gone, and Bitch-sensei, whom Ame had heard earlier, was nowhere in sight. Muttering under his breath about overly polite brats, the leader offered her his arm once more, which she took, and guided her toward the door near the bar. For a moment, her eyes met Maehara’s, and the boy subtly winked her way before getting back to washing glasses.

_They’re really here, uh? All of them…_

“Ah, there he is! Man, am I thirsty after dealing with those brats!”

Michael returned to them with two glasses of water. Tanaka quickly gulped down his, while Ame drank hers more slowly. She was almost entirely certain it was clean, but she couldn’t be too sure with the leader of _Coup de Grâce._ Once she was done, though, she had to kiss goodbye to the ballroom as they made their way through the side door. They walked up a flight of stairs, before reaching one of the opera lodges.

“So we’re just going to sit in the dark and await the realization of your Machiavellian plan? Talk about a fun party,” deadpanned Ame.

“Ah, don’t worry, don’t worry,” chuckled Tanaka, guiding her inside. “The main event of the evening will happen here. In a few minutes, the guests will all come and take their seats, and the auction will begin.”

“Auction? I didn’t know you were into legal stuff,” she mused, taking her seat.

“Oh, we’re not. We’re just going to use that auction to spot who has the most money so we can use them as hostages so their families will pay a ransom,” he replied in a cheerful tone.

“ _Lovely_.”

“Boss, it looks like the special guest has arrived,” then announced Michael, listening to the information relayed to him by the others.

“Good,” nodded Tanaka, also taking his seat. “Let’s get started.”

“Very well.” He pressed a finger on his ear. “Everyone, Boss has given the signal. Let’s go!”

_Funny how he hasn’t realized that it has already started._

“Feeling better, Naoki-chan?”

“Just _peachy_.”

And though she didn’t show it, it was the truth. Tanaka Sho wouldn’t know what hit him.

* * *

_“As soon as Saru shows up, they’ll begin their own plan. Since we’ll surely lose contact with Saru once he’s inside, we’ve decided that Team 2 would make their move exactly fifteen minutes later. Their job is simple, really: distraction. That’s the team that’ll draw the main attention of the security and that’ll forcibly make their way into the Citadel and open the path for the rest. That’s also when our cover will be partly blown, so we’ll have to move fast as soon as Team 2 strikes. However…”_

* * *

**“It’s been twenty minutes!”** announced Ritsu. **“Team 2, move out!”**

At once, Korosensei appeared at the front entrance. All of the guests were inside by now, so only those in charge of security saw him. They obviously knew who and what he was, though, for they instantly started firing Anti-BB bullets. 

“Well-prepared, are we?” mused Korosensei, easily evading the rain of lethal projectiles. His traits then darkened as veins pulsed under his skin. _“But that won’t be enough to save you._ You have my precious student, and I intend to take her back!!!”

The security agents expected tentacles—they didn’t expect fists. So, they were rather taken off guard when, out of nowhere, a large man suddenly appeared and rammed into them, punching left and right and effectively knocking out whoever he came in contact with. 

“You have one of ours,” he growled, picking up an agent that was shaking all over. Then, he mercilessly threw him away, and the poor sod flew well over a few meters. “Where is she!?”

* * *

 _“However, the greatest threat we’ll encounter isn’t the extra security, but_ Coup de Grâce _’s top officers. There’s seven of them, all extremely talented individuals, that we’ll have to neutralize at all cost if we want to be able to rescue Ame.”_

* * *

“So the monster-teacher showed up after all, uh?” mused Jophiel, watching the ongoing fight closely through his visor. “And there’s a member of the Zodiac, too… Buru, was it? Looks and acts like a bull, alright.”

Jophiel had been granted the role of sniper, and watcher as well. Seated on the edge of an open window on the fifth floor, he was carefully watching the cliffside, along with the backdoor—the sole entrance other than the main one that could allow someone inside the Citadel. 

“Well, might as well claim that bounty for myself while I’m at it, uh?”

Just as he was about to fire, though, a bullet suddenly hit the glass just next to his head. He instantly took cover, back inside the room, his eyes narrowing. Another sniper? Yeah, that Reaper guy mentioned a newbie assassin. Red-Eye, sniper extraordinaire, renown in the Underworld for never failing to kill a target—that is, until he met that octopus. He should have expected him, really.

_But now that he’s fired, I know where he is. It’s only a matter of who aims better, now._

Jophiel licked his lips. Now, that was an interesting challenge, wasn’t it? It wasn’t often that his life ended up being on the line, what with him always acting as a sniper despite being a weapon master. Now, though, it looked like he had met his match.

**“Jophiel, what’s the situation?”**

“Nothing big, Gabrielle,” he assured. “That octopus is here, along with Zodiac members Buru and Sasori. I’m about to end the later.”

**“Don’t get caught up in your games, Jophiel, and give me an update once you’ve dealt with them.”**

“Will do.”

The coms officer then cut their communication, and the weapon master focused back on the situation at hand. Just as he was about to make his move, though, another bullet hit the floor just near his feet, and his eyes widened a bit.

_That one came from the complete opposite direction!_

He didn’t know there was another sniper in the Zodiac. That weapon master, Ryu, seemed better versed in knives and the likes, and he had a feeling it wasn’t him anyway.

_So who could it be?_

There was no point in asking questions he wouldn’t get the answers to, though. However, adrenaline was now filling his veins. Two snipers against one? It had been a long, long while since the last time he found himself facing such a challenge. The thrill of taking down two opponents at once was getting the best of him, and a crazed grin split his face.

“I know where you both are! You’re dead!!!”

Jumping onto the edge of the window, he completely revealed himself. Once again, the two snipers fired… but although the bullets hit, they didn’t hurt him in the least.

“Ah! How do you like my special bulletproof armor!? And now… it’s your time to die!!!”

A single gunshot echoed, though, and it wasn’t his—in fact, it didn’t come from either side, but from _above._ Mild pain spread in his neck, and a wave of dizziness crashed onto him.

_There- there were three of them…_

Darkness then overcame him, and he started falling—

* * *

—only to be caught by none other than Same, who had been waiting outside the room for a few minutes now. Grabbing the sniper’s collar, he roughly pulled him back inside and instantly got to work, tying him up and stuffing cloth in his mouth so he wouldn’t alert anyone once he woke up. While he did that, a shadowy figure dropped from the four floors above, holding on to a metallic wire, before jumping inside.

“Good job, Hayami-san,” Same congratulated briefly, finishing up with their foe. “You possess great skill. I don’t believe many people would be able to fire at such a precise target from such a distance while hanging upside down.”

“I’ve trained,” she simply replied, looking down at the now unconscious enemy. “Jophiel, the weapon master. Known to be a dangerous ambidextrous sniper who can pinpoint an enemy’s exact position after a single shot. As told, he was also wearing a special bullet-proof armor, of which the only weak point was the space between his neck and the collar.”

Same nodded, shoving the man in question aside. He’d be out of it for a pretty long while considering the amount of somniferous substance he had just been injected with. Clearing his throat a few times, he then spoke up—

_“Test, test.”_

—it sounded exactly like Jophiel’s rather throaty voice. After all, he could mimic anyone’s voice after hearing it only once. He nodded to Hayami, who nodded back and activated her com.

“Jophiel has been successfully incapacitated,” she announced. “Korosensei, Buru-san, please finish up at the front.”

 **“Right away,”** answered Buru.

While she did that, Same grabbed some of Jophiel’s gear, along with the com. Breathing out deeply, he then activated it.

 **“Update status?”** instantly asked a feminine voice.

“ _The Zodiac sniper’s been handled_ ,” answered Same without missing a beat. “ _The octopus and the other Zodiac member retreated, though._ ”

**“Got it. Don’t lose focus, they’ll surely be back soon enough.”**

“ _Maa, maa, no need to nag, Gabrielle. I know how to do my job.”_

“ **Sometimes, I really wonder if you do or if you just luck out every time.”**

On which the communication was cut off again. 

“Impressive,” simply remarked Hayami. Same offered her a nod, and she activated her com once again. “The cliffside and the backdoor have been secured. The main entrance is also under our control. We’re clear to move on to phase three.”

 **“Good job, Sasori, Chiba-kun, Hayami-chan, Same. You too, Buru. How are you holding up, Korosensei?”** inquired Usagi.

**“Niryufufufu! Everything is perfect! All of the unconscious guards are now held up by my tentacles, so it looks like they’re awake and still guarding the entrance. The enemy is none the wiser, and the guards who stayed inside didn’t see anything!”**

**“Great. Then, everyone, it’s time for phase three!”**

* * *

Saru was escorted to a lodge on the other side of the room, directly to the opposite of Ame and Tanaka’s. Her fists clenched when seeing him, but he simply smiled at her, like he always did, and she felt herself relax.

_It’s alright. We have this._

Suddenly, Michael rushed back inside. “Boss, it looks like there’s some agitation at the entrance—the monster-teacher and two Zodiac members.”

“Can Jophiel handle it?”

“Apparently.”

“Alright. Tell me if anything else comes up.”

Nodding, the red-haired man then returned to stand guard outside the lodge. As for Ame, well, she was having a hard time not outright showing she was jubilating. She glanced at Saru from time to time, but the man was now carefully avoiding looking at her, and she noticed how he didn’t even have a guard with him.

_So they’re really using me to keep him in place, uh? As long as I’m wearing that damn necklace, he won’t be able to do anything._

She couldn’t possibly take it off herself, though. For now, she needed to stay calm and wait for her friends to make their move. She didn’t doubt there was a plan and, though she hated to be left out of the loop, she’d be patient.

She’d get the last laugh soon enough.

* * *

_“Once Phase Two is completed, it’ll mean we have control over the back entrance, and we can send in the rest of the infiltration team. Accompanied by three of our members, their mission will be to take control of the Citadel’s security system as a whole along with cutting off the means of communication. By then, it’ll definitely give away our presence, but they’ll be cornered at that point. Taking out the inside security and the communication system is the only way for us to take control of the situation. If we can’t do that, the rescue mission is as good as over.”_

* * *

Hayami and Chiba positioned themselves in the room with the unconscious Jophiel, while Same left to join the rest of the infiltration group. They were all hiding in the hallway, having come in from the backdoor, and the situation strangely reminded them of when they had infiltrated the Citadel during their little vacation. Now, though, they didn’t have Bitch-sensei to attract the attention of the guards inside.

“Buru, go ahead,” simply ordered Same.

**“Alright!”**

At once, Buru charged inside. Korosensei was still busy holding up the unconscious bodies and he couldn’t drop them until the security system had been taken over, but the large man was more than enough to attract the attention of their enemies. They all started firing as the man charged inside head-on, heavily protected by bulletproof equipment. As soon as he started rampaging, Same, Ryu, and Tora fired at once on the three cameras in the hall. This gave the opening required for the students to quickly go up the stairs and go hide in the nearest room without being noticed. Once inside, they spread out while Usagi went to sit at the desk and instantly plugged in his computer.

“Alright, here’s what’s going to happen,” announced Tora, going inside. Ritsu made a map of the Citadel appear in the middle of the room, and the students gathered around. “The surveillance room is three floors above our heads, so we’ll split into four teams: Usagi, Ritsu, and Takebayashi will stay here to handle the cyber-fight, Ryu, Hara, and Mimura will take Elevator A, Yada, Takaoka, and me will take Elevator B and, finally, Kaede, Okano, and Kurahashi will take the stairs. We destroy every camera we can come across and the teams in the elevators will draw all of the attention. You know what to do for the rest.”

“Right!”

“Then, Usagi?”

The man grinned, offering her a thumb’s up. “All set to go!”

“Then let’s do this! Teams, move out!”

* * *

Alarms started blaring in the surveillance room, and Gabrielle narrowed her eyes as numbers started filling one screen after the other. Instantly, her fingers started flying over the keys, and she quickly realized what exactly was happening.

“Gabrielle?”

“Someone managed to break through the firewall,” she announced, gritting her teeth. “They’re trying to take control of the security system and redirect the commands to an alternate server.”

“Can you stop them?” frowned Ariel.

“I’ll need to fully focus on it. Can you handle the rest? There’s that Buru guy still rampaging downstairs, and the guys outside are apparently still busy with that octopus— _oh no you don’t, you little rat!”_

Muttering curses under her breath, the ginger completely cut herself off from reality, focusing on the cyber-attack. Shaking his head, the tactician then took a look at the screens still in function. They had already lost many cameras, and he could see the two elevators coming up. He didn’t bother with stopping them, knowing the Zodiac members inside would be out of there in less than a minute anyway, and simply made it so they’d stop at the floor just below. He then activated his radio.

“I need twenty men waiting at the elevators on floor two to greet unwelcome guests,” he ordered. “Numbers are unknown, but they’re highly dangerous individuals. Permission to fire on sight is granted. Do _not_ let them reach the surveillance room!”

* * *

_“No matter what you do, always aim for the cameras first. As long as we manage to hide the presence of the E-Class students, we’ll have the advantage of surprise.”_

* * *

“We’re stopping at the second floor,” announced Ryu. “Ready?”

Hara and Mimura nodded firmly, though the later gulped a bit. He hadn’t expected to land smack in the middle of the action, to be frank, and he was both thrilled and terrified. However, they were heavily equipped with bulletproof clothes and special weapons, so they’d be fine. They had to, right? It wasn’t a game, but none of them would die here.

It just wasn’t possible.

…

…

…

_Right?_

“We’ve stopped,” stated Hara, her grip tightening on her gun.

Of course, the students hadn’t been handed actual guns. Saru hadn’t even suggested it, and Karasuma probably would have wrung his neck if he had. However, since their anti-Sensei guns obviously wouldn’t be of much use, they had been given special darts coated in a sleeping drug that would almost instantly take effect. 

“As soon as I’ve taken care of the two cameras on the right, you guys start taking them out from in here,” ordered Ryu. _He_ had a real gun since he was talented enough not to hit anything vital. “Ready?”

“Aa!”

At last, the doors slid open, and he instantly jumped outside. Gunshots echoed and Hara and Mimura flinched a bit, knowing it was _real_ bullets they were hearing. But—

“All clear!!!”

They didn’t have the time to think, their resolve hardening as they remembered why they were here in the first place. Falling in place at once, they instantly started firing at their foes, Ryu running all around and physically taking them out with moves rivalling Karasuma’s. On their left, Tora had handled the other cameras while Yada and Takaoka mirrored their attack. In the span of a minute, they had taken care of all twenty men sent after them. 

“Usagi, what’s your status?” asked Tora while the students and Ryu tied up the guards.

 **“That chick in charge of protecting the systems is a serious pain in the ass,”** grunted the white-haired man. **“But I’ll have control of the elevators in about forty-five seconds. Get ready!”**

“Alright. Kaede, what about you?”

 **“We met the backup team in the stairs, but we’ve managed to handle all ten of them,”** assured Kaede, though her voice was shaking a bit. **“We’ll go through the hallway as soon as you guys are ready.”**

“Got it. Yada, Takaoka, we’re taking over the room right under the surveillance room. Ryu, you and your team get in position.”

“Aa. Let’s go!”

* * *

_“Getting inside that room is at the bottom of the priority list when it comes to the third phase. As long as we can cut off their communication, we’ll be one step ahead. As long as we can get close enough, we’ll be able to scramble their signal.”_

* * *

“Damn it, damn it, damn it…”

“Gabrielle?”

“It must be that Usagi guy, the bastard!” cursed the orange-haired woman. Her fingers were moving so fast, Ariel could barely see them. “I don’t know how he’s doing it but he’s attacking on three different fronts at the time—I can barely keep up!”

“How much time can you last?” frowned the green-haired man.

“No more than six minutes,” she admitted, the truth leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Alright, I’ll warn Raphael right away.” He activated his second radio, the one directly connected to the other high-ranked members. “Michael, we’re in a pinch—“

_‘BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ’_

His eyes widened. “They’re scrambling the signal!”

“What!? How?”

“They must be in the room right under us!”

“But twenty men were waiting for them downstairs, and ten more were coming as a backup. Argh!” Gabrielle hit the table with her fist. “How many _are_ there, damn it!?”

“Calm down! Focus on the cyber-attack—if they gain control of the security system, we’ll definitely be at a disadvantage. We—“ He suddenly paused, his eyes going wide with realization. “How many… That’s it! The Zodiac aren’t the only ones here!”

“W- what—“

“I’ll go warn Michael myself, just focus on the security system!”

“Wait, Ariel, what—“

But the tactician was already running off, leaving her on her own. Cursing loudly once more, Gabrielle then focused back on the problem at hand.

* * *

“Come on, girls! Over there!”

They were a tad exhausted, to be honest. Running around and fighting a little under a dozen of armed men had taken its toll on the little three-girl team, and they seriously hoped they wouldn’t run into any more trouble. Just as they reached the last flight of stairs, though, the door leading to the upper floor flew open, and a green-haired man stepped inside. They instantly stopped dead in their tracks, and he froze.

“I knew it…” he breathed out, his eyes wide. “Ooh, I should have seen it coming. I should have known! What a brilliant plan, really! But… I’m afraid your little rescue mission ends here.”

“Y- you’re… Ariel, right?” gulped Kaede, shaking a bit. “One- one of the high-ranked members…”

“Did your homework, didn’t you?” he drawled. Then, he pulled a gigantic gun off his back. “You should have just stayed in your little classroom.”

“W- wait!” gasped Okano. “If you blow up the staircase, you’ll die too, won’t you!?”

“Blow up…? Oh, no, that’s not a bazooka!” He laughed a bit. “Man, kids and their imagination… No, no, that’s just some new drug we’ve been working on. It’s not field-tested yet but, so far, the effects we’ve managed to witness are rather nasty. Goodnight, girls!”

Just as he was about to fire at the frozen green-haired girl, though, he stiffened. Then, at once, he collapsed… revealing none other than one of their classmates.

“Ta- Takebayashi-kun!?” gasped Kurahashi.

Kaede collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily, and Okano quickly rushed to her side. Herself was barely able to stand, the burst of adrenaline and relief making them a little light-headed. As for Takebayashi, well, he lowered his gun, his hands shaking, but a proud smile tentatively stretching his lips.

“I- I thought you could use some help,” he remarked, pushing up his glasses.

“Well done, Takebayashi-kun!” beamed Kurahashi. 

“But what about Usagi-san and Ritsu?” wondered Okano, a tad worried.

“W- well…”

* * *

_A few minutes earlier_

.

.

“Are you alright, Takebayashi-kun?”

The boy startled, glancing at the info-broker next to him. Although the pro looked intensely focused on the computer before him, he was still glancing his way.

“I- I’m fine, Usagi-san.”

The man grinned a bit. “You wanted to join them, didn’t you?”

Blushing in embarrassment, the boy didn’t bother correcting him and simply reported his attention on his computer. While he wasn’t as fast as Usagi, the man had trained him a bit in the last few days so he’d be able to help him out with the cyber-attack. But then, without warning, Usagi grabbed his computer and placed it next to his own.

“U- Usagi-san!?”

“Go,” simply urged the man, no longer looking at him. 

“But- but I need to help here—“

“You’ve got the opportunity to help your friends. Don’t waste it.”

Takebayashi’s eyes went wide. Then, at once, he strengthened his resolve and, with a firm nod, he ran out of the room. Usagi simply chuckled a bit under his breath.

“Ah, children…”

“Was it really a good idea, Usagi-san? Will we not need his help?” wondered Ritsu, a tad worried.

“Nan, we can handle it,” assured the man. “Plus, I know the feeling. I know what it’s like to long for the same battlefield as the rest of your friends… Anyway, let’s focus! We’re almost through!”

“Right!”

* * *

_Back to the present_

.

.

“Urgh, no, he’s slowed down but I still can’t—no, damn it! Not—“

The door flew open so harshly it snapped Gabrielle out of her daze. Her eyes widened as she spun around in her chair and found two _kids_ pointing guns at her.

“What—“ 

The girl fired without hesitation, and pain flared in Gabrielle’s stomach. 

Then, her world turned black.

* * *

“We’ve handled Gabrielle, the one in charge of the security system,” announced Hara.

As if on cue, a little white rabbit appeared on the main screen, offering them a thumb’s up, along with Ritsu, who beamed at them.

“We also made it in!” she announced proudly.

 **“ _C- Coup de Grâce_ member Ariel has also been handled, _”_** then announced Takebayashi. **“We’re dragging him to the surveillance room.”**

 **“I’ll come and help,”** stated Ryu. **“Tora, you and your team stay in the room downstairs to ensure the communications stay scrambled. Kaede-chan, you and your team come join us in the surveillance room. Usagi, Ritsu, you two know what to do. Buru, Same, you guys finish off the guards in the entrance. Korosensei, you can now drop the guards and stay on standby.”**

**“Roger!”**

**“Got it!”**

**“Hai, hai~!”**

**“Then… Phase Four, beginning now!”**


	31. Thirty-First Period: Rescue Party Time PART 2

_“One of the most important parts of this operation is the total neutralization of their activities. If we want to ensure Ame’s safety in the future, we have to take down_ Coup de Grâce _as a whole. Plus, there’s no telling what sort of underhanded tricks they’ll be using against us. In the worst-case scenario, they’ll make use of different drugs and poisons that they created, which will leave us in a very tight spot if one of us ingests those. So, we’ll need a team to raid their secret lab and gather all of the information held in there before completely eradicating it.”_

* * *

“All right, you’ve all heard of the situation: the drinks have been spiked with some kind of drug, meaning all of the guests have now become hostages,” explained quickly Hebi as the group hid amongst the trees. “Ratto, you’ve learned to operate with security systems whenever Usagi wasn’t available, so you’re in charge of getting us into that lab. Yagi, Sugino, and Sugaya will take care of the distraction, and, as soon as Ratto managed to force the door open, Okuda, Kimura, and I will go ahead and neutralize Raphael. Any questions?”

“Isn’t there a risk that he’ll call for reinforcements?” asked worriedly Sugaya.

Ratto shook his head, checking his untraceable phone. “From the info we’ve gathered, _Coup de Grâce_ doesn’t trust anyone besides their high-ranking members when it comes to that lab. There’ll be security set up outside, but nothing we can’t handle. I’ll blind the cameras so, once we’re inside, he shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

“Plus, even if he _does_ call for reinforcements, the other teams have already neutralized their coms officer and their strategist,” recalled Sugino, grinning a bit. 

“And he won’t be able to directly contact Tanaka because we’ve been messing with the signal since we’ve arrived,” added gruffly Yagi. “We ought to get a move on, though. Every second wasted is one more second when everything could go to hell. Everyone ready?”

“Aah!”

“Then let’s go!”

* * *

**“Karasuma, what’s your position?”**

“We’ve made it inside the auction room,” answered quietly the man, carefully glancing around them. So far, none of the guests appeared affected by whatever had been put in the drinks, but he could tell it was only a matter of time. “Team 1-A is on standby, just outside the four doors that lead inside this room.”

“Said doors have been locked exactly a minute and forty-three seconds ago,” added Irina. “I’m guessing the show is about to start.”

**“Do you have a visual on Ame and Saru?”**

**“Ame’s up in the East Wing, on the third balcony. Tanaka’s right next to her,”** answered Rio, who was seated a few ranks ahead of the teachers, next to Isogai. **“Saru’s in the West Wing, also on the third balcony.”**

 **“We’ve lost sight of Michael,”** added Isogai, a mild edge to his voice. **“We’re guessing he’s currently guarding the door of Ame’s lodge.”**

 **“And Saru isn’t guarded, as far as we can see. They know he won’t make a move as long as they have Ame as a hostage,”** grunted Rio.

**“Alright. As soon as Team 4 is done with raiding the lab, we’ll drop the bomb—literally. It shouldn’t take too long, so stay on guard—we still don’t know where Chamuel and Azrael are, so watch your backs—“**

“Gooooood evening, everyone!!!” All at once, the auction room was plunged in darkness as a single spotlight shone on the stage, where stood a single man wearing a yellow sparkling suit and a yellow mask. “I welcome you tonight to our underground auction! Please relax, enjoy the drinks, and spill that money to your heart’s content! Let’s get started!!!”

“Nevermind, we found Chamuel,” deadpanned Irina, unimpressed.

“Since he’s in the spotlight, he’ll be all that easier to keep an eye on,” remarked Karasuma, a little tensed. “We’ll keep an eye out for Azrael. How long do we have?”

**“I’d say fifteen minutes, at most. Be ready.”**

**“Erm, everyone? I- I think we found Azrael…”**

* * *

Rio and Isogai didn’t know what they expected of the assassin, but it certainly wasn’t _this._ Just as the auction began, the indigo-haired man took the empty seat on Rio’s left, and she only noticed once he had a knife pressing against her stomach.

 **“What do you mean, Isogai?”** asked urgently Karasuma. **“Where is he?”**

Without a word, Azrael extended his hand to Isogai, and, after a moment of hesitation, the boy handed him the communication device. Things had just taken a turn for the worst, but there might still be a way to salvage their plan, so long as they didn’t cause a commotion now. Keeping his knife on the blonde girl, Azrael installed the communication device in his ear and adjusted the mike.

**“Isogai, answer me! What’s going on? Where is Azrael!?”**

“I’m right here.” There was a moment of heavy silence, and he took it as his cue to speak some more. “Have you come here to rescue Ame-san?”

**“… What have you done to the children?”**

“Nothing. _Yet._ Answer my question.”

**“I—“**

**“Yes, we are.”** That was Usagi, and his tone was definitely tensed. **“What are you planning on doing now that you’ve uncovered our operation, Azrael?”**

“Help you.” Again, only silence met him, and he heaved out a small sigh. “Ame-san helped me out. I’m simply returning the favor.”

 **“By turning against your own gang?”** replied Karasuma, clearly unconvinced.

Azrael’s eyes sharpened slightly. “Be aware that I didn’t stay in _Coup de Grâce_ from my own volition. If the organization is destroyed tonight, all the better for me.”

**“… All right, we’ll trust you. Not like we have much of a choice, anyway.”**

Nodding, Azrael finally removed the knife he had been holding against Rio’s stomach, and both her and Isogai let out a breath they hadn’t realized they had been holding. The situation had taken quite the unexpected turn but, then again, Ame was apparently involved in some way, so they really shouldn’t be this surprised.

 _Now, here’s hoping the rest of the plan will go smoothly…_ sighed internally Rio. 

* * *

“And… move!”

At Ratto’s signal, the girls were quick to rush toward the now opened door of the lab, completely ignoring the guards that were currently being taken down by Yagi, Sugino, and Sugaya. As told, it wasn’t anything that they couldn’t handle, but they still needed to act fast: now that the door was opened and the cameras were down, their target inside was bound to lose his cool, and the last thing they wanted was to give chase in the woods. 

“Kimura, Okuda, start placing the bombs. I’ll go and neutralize Raphael, along with securing the documents we need,” ordered Hebi, gesturing toward the right hallway.

They nodded firmly, instantly getting to work. The secret lab wasn’t all that big since it would have made it harder to hide, and the small bombs they had been given worked in a domino effect—in other words, the first one to explode would make the second one explode, which would make the third one explode, and so on. So, all they needed was to set them up with a five-meters distance between each, throughout the entire hallway.

“If only our parents could see us now, uh?” chuckled Kimura, trying to forget about his nervousness as he set up another bomb. “Assaulting one of the most dangerous terrorist groups in the world, setting up bombs to make a secret lab explode…”

“W- well, at that point, it- it’s a normal occurrence for- for us, isn’t it?” replied Okuda, offering a small smile as she handed another device.

He grinned back, unable to disagree but, just as he took the bomb from her, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. Barely a second later, none other than Raphael stumbled into view, holding a silvery suitcase against his chest with one hand, while the other held a gun. As soon as he saw them, he let out a yelp and brandished the gun toward Okuda.

“Stay- stay back! Don’t move— _ack!”_

One moment, he was holding Okuda at gunpoint.

The next, the gun was harshly slapped out of his hands and the bespectacled girl gave him a roundhouse kick to the face, effectively slamming him into the nearby wall and knocking him out.

…

…

…

“Holy _crap,_ Okuda,” whispered Kimura, gawking at the now unconscious man lying on the floor before them. “That was _awesome.”_

The shy girl instantly flushed ten shades of red, though she smiled, pleased. “It was- it was Ame-san who- who taught me that move…”

“Okuda! Kimura!” Hebi suddenly appeared, running up to them. Despite the mask, they could easily tell she had been worried. “Are you two alright? What happened?”

“Okuda kicked his ass,” answered frankly Kimura, still in awe. Who knew the normally shy girl had it in her? “Damn, I wish I could have filmed it!”

At that point, though, the praises were a tad too much for Okuda, who started stuttering madly as she attempted to politely shut him up, while Kimura kept on singing her praises because _damn,_ it was probably one of the most badass things he had seen in his life—and considering how his current school year was going, that was saying a lot. 

Hebi simply chuckled, lightly patting Okuda’s head.

“Good job.” Grinning a bit, though the teens couldn’t see it, she then activated her communication device. **“Yagi, Ratto. We’ve neutralized Raphael and we have the necessary documents. We’re almost done with the bombs, too, so make sure no one is in the vicinity when everything goes** _ **boom.”**_

 **“You got it,”** confirmed Yagi with a grunt.

“Alright,” she nodded, reporting her attention to the teens before her. “I’ve already set up the bombs in the main lab. Raphael walked in on me while I was doing that, hence why he tried to run, but we’re almost done. I’ll take this guy outside, so you guys finish up in here and hurry out as soon as you’re done, alright?”

“Right!”

Nodding once again, the red-haired woman then cuffed the unconscious man, before picking him up along with the suitcase he had been carrying, and heading out. As she walked away, though, the two students couldn’t help but feel proud and determined—even more so than before. After all, as unusual as the situation was, they hadn’t expected to be left alone to handle such an important task but, like the rest of the E-Class, the members of the Zodiac treated them as equals, sharing the responsibilities while looking after them, but _without_ constantly hovering over their shoulders, as Karasuma or Korosensei would.

They were _trusted,_ treated not like students, but like fellow coworkers, _adults…_ and it was both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

* * *

About two minutes later, they were done setting up the bombs, and they quickly found their way outside, where the rest of the team was waiting for them. Sugino and Sugaya were quick to congratulate their fellow students for a job well done, while the Zodiac members got to work in order to finish up their part of the mission. 

“All right, kiddies,” grinned lazily Ratto, turning to the students. “Who wants to do the honors?”

“Okuda, go ahead,” urged Sugino, gently nudging her forward with a grin. 

“Right, might as well finish what you started, uh?” teased Kimura.

“Are- are you sure?”

“Go ahead!” insisted Sugaya, grinning too.

Somewhat embarrassed because of all of the attention, she nervously took the detonator Ratto was handing her and, with a nod from Yagi, she bit her lower lip and pressed on the button. Almost instantly, the first bomb went off inside, soon followed by the second one, then the third one… In a matter of seconds, the entirety of the secret lab collapsed in a mess of rubbles, fire, and smoke, the tremors running under their feet and the noise scaring away some birds nested nearby. After a minute or so, a semblance of silence fell back upon the forest.

“We did it!” cheered Sugino.

“Yosh!”

All four students high-fived, overjoyed. Yagi rolled his eyes, though he didn’t say anything, and Ratto simply snorted, amused. Hebi chuckled, before contacting Usagi.

“Usagi, do you copy?”

**“Yup! Good news?”**

“Phase Four is complete,” she confirmed. “The lab is destroyed, Raphael has been apprehended, and we have all of the info we need.”

**“Great! I’ll pass the word and give the signal for the finale phase, then. You guys hurry back to the Citadel, alright?”**

“Copy that.”

* * *

Seeing as they didn’t want to overload communications, it had been decided that not all of the Teams would be able to communicate directly, and would instead talk to Usagi, who would then relay orders and instructions, along with Ritsu. So, when he received the news of Phase Four’s success, he was quick to share them with everyone.

“Alright, listen up! Phase Four has been dealt with, so it’s time to move on to the grand finale,” he announced, biting his lip in apprehension. “We only have Michael, Chamuel, and Sho left, but let’s not forget about Ame’s bomb necklace. E-Class, you know what to do. Zodiac, it’s time to lift the curtain!”

 **“You’re having too much fun with this, Usagi,”** chided Karasu, clicking his tongue.

 **“Mou, don’t be a party-pooper, Kara-chan,”** pouted Uma. 

**“Don’t call me that!”**

**“The brat better be grateful once we get out of here,”** grunted Ratto.

 **“I’ll give her the scolding of a lifetime,”** assured darkly Yagi.

 **“To be fair, she was kidnapped in her own home. Can’t you go a little easy on her?”** sweatdropped Sasori.

 **“If anything, she’s the one who’ll kick our ass for taking so long,”** snorted Tora.

 **“We should get out of here first before thinking of what’ll happen next,”** flatly pointed out Same.

 **“He’s right, we should be careful, still. Who knows what other trick Sho has up his sleeve?”** remarked wisely Buru.

 **“And let’s not forget Saru, too. As soon as Sho realizes what’s happening, our Leader will be in danger,”** added Hebi.

 **“Ugh, we better not take the whole night, I promised my wife I’d be home before morning,”** sighed Buta. 

**“You mean your wife who doesn’t know of your explosive pastime?”** taunted Ondori.

 **“Alright, enough of the sideshow,”** Ryu cut in before an argument could break out. **“Everyone is in position. As soon as Usagi gives the signal, we’ll move in. Our primary focus is causing enough of a commotion to force Sho out of hiding, and make things as easy as possible for the students to make their move.”**

Everyone chorused their agreement with varying degrees of enthusiasm, all of them well aware that, from here on out, a single wrong move could very well mean Ame’s death or Saru’s death, or both. Heaving out a sigh, Usagi then contacted Karasuma.

“Teach, Phase Five is about to start. You know what to do, right?”

**“Aa. We’re ready.”**

“In that case… Phase Five begins now!!!”

* * *

_“If all goes right, then Sho and Michael won’t suspect the involvement of the students. At that point, we’ll have to rely on them in order to get closer to Ame without attracting the attention of the guests. So, we’ll have to focus on two things: getting rid of Michael, and getting Sho away from Ame long enough for us to get rid of whatever insurance he put in place. That being said, the Zodiac will cause a distraction along with Korosensei.”_

* * *

**“Michael, we have an issue.”**

The red-haired man frowned. “What is it, Gabrielle?”

**“It’s the Zodiac—they’re all here. They managed to get past the guards, and Ariel and Jophiel have been taken out. If we don’t stop them now, they’ll just barge in the auction and mess up everything.”**

Michael scowled. “Understood. We were prepared for such an eventuality, though I didn’t expect those two to get taken out first… Keep an eye out, I’m sending Boss to handle it.”

**“Roger.”**

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Michael knocked three times, before opening the door and stepping inside of the lounge. The black-haired girl didn’t even spare him a glance, completely focused on the auction happening below, and he bent down to be at Tanaka’s level.

“The Zodiac’s here, the octopus monster too, and they’re causing trouble. Ariel and Jophiel are down for the count, too.”

“Hmm.” Tanaka kept silent for a moment, before nodding. “We expected things to turn out like that. I’ll be going ahead, then. You know what to do.”

“You got it.”

Tanaka rose to his feet and, this time around, Ame reacted. She tilted her head, looking at him with a mix of confusion and apprehension. He simply spared her a smile, unperturbed by the glare she replied with.

“No need for such a look, I’ll only be gone for a few minutes. Some business to settle, you know? Don’t try anything reckless, now—“ He flicked the necklace around her neck, making her flinch. “—or you know what’ll happen.”

“Tche.”

He simply chuckled, before heading out. Michael followed him, returning to his initial position and guarding the door, while Tanaka went ahead to meet with the Zodiac members now causing a commotion on _his_ turf. He had expected them to act out once they realized their precious leader had yet to come out, but he could easily contain them. After all, his orders to Michael were quite clear: if he died, Ame was to die too. And, if they tried to bargain his life against hers and their Leader’s, he was to kill them both. Plus, they still had all of the guests as hostages! And, while the Zodiac was busy deliberating, he’d have Raphael use his newest creation to put them to rest—permanently. It was a soundproof plan, really!

Or at least, it _would_ have been, had he not underestimated whom he was facing.

* * *

 **“Tanaka Sho left the balcony,”** announced Usagi.

 **“He activated some sort of emergency procedure on his way out,”** added Ritsu. **“As suspected, he intends to use the guests as hostages. There’s now a sleeping gaze slowly spreading throughout the entire room which, coupled with the drug they were slipped earlier, will plunge them in a coma-like state.”**

“Understood,” nodded Karasuma, carefully covering his nose and mouth. “Students, it’s time. Be careful, everyone.”

None of them answered, but he knew they heard him. Beside him, Irina also carefully covered her nose, keeping a close eye on the guests around them. Slowly, but noticeably, all of them started to sway in place, before collapsing in their seats, and they were quick to play along.

As soon as Ame was free, they’d handle the most dangerous opponent.

* * *

Throughout the entire operation, another group entirely composed of students also infiltrated the Citadel, using the air conducts to make their way toward the auction room. Terasaka, Hazama, Yoshida, and Muramatsu had a very simple mission: draw Michael away from the lounge, _and kick his ass._

Since none of them were really the planning type, they decided to go for a head-on approach.

“Oi, pepper! I’ve got a bone to pick with you!”

Terasaka walked right up to the red-haired man, a hand shoved in his pocket and the other hanging loosely in his back. Michael frowned slightly, but he wasn’t about to be baited so easily.

“What are you doing here, kid? This is a restricted area,” he simply replied.

“You talk all high and mighty, but you just sound plain stupid,” Terasaka replied, smirking confidently and channeling his inner-Karma. “What are you, someone’s servant? All you’re good for is licking someone’s boots, uh?”

Michael gritted his teeth at that, but didn’t budge from his spot. “Get lost.”

Terasaka glared at him for a moment… before suddenly moving, much faster than anyone would expect from a guy with his stature. He struck the man before him right in the guts with none other than the stun gun Ame had gifted him, effectively electrocuting him. 

Unfortunately enough, taking him down wouldn’t be that easy.

“Enough,” he growled, his face twisting in an enraged snarl. “I’ll have your head, brat!”

_Well, worked like a charm, eh?_

“As if you could catch me!” he taunted, already running off. “You’re so big, you’ll end up stuck in the doorway!”

_“Did you just call me fat!?”_

Now, Michael wasn’t exactly one to lose his cool easily. In fact, the only person in the world who could aggravate him without even trying was none other than the blonde idiot he was forced to call his colleague. However, that _brat_ who had just _electrocuted_ him was _just like him._

_Another Chamuel? Hell to the no!_

And while he wasn’t allowed to throttle his coworker, the same privilege didn’t extend to some random kid who decided he had nothing better to do than taunt a full-fledged martial artist. 

_I’ll rip his fucking guts out!_

He wasn’t all that worried about leaving his post, well aware that their guest of honor wouldn’t be able to even step foot outside of the lounge without killing herself. However, as he suddenly found himself in a small, dark theater room, he started revaluating his situation.

Who was that kid?

Why did he provoke him like that?

_Why the fuck was I dumb enough to follow him!?_

There was a movement to his right and, next thing he knew, he was struck again by the stun-gun but, just as he attempted to kick his opponent, pain flared in his neck and he found himself collapsing, with only one thought in mind.

_I’m blaming Chamuel for this…_

* * *

The last thing Ame expected was for the door of the lunge to be flung open, and for none other than Itona and Isogai to walk inside as if they owned the place. She didn’t even get up from her seat, though, not daring to make a move when in such a precarious position. So, as much as she wanted to jump into their arms, she settled for staying still and offering them a relieved smile.

“Took you guys long enough,” she teased, though it was half-hearted. “Don’t know what’s gotten into you, infiltrating the place like that… but thank you.”

“Don’t thank us yet,” replied simply Itona, kneeling so he could take a better look at the choker around her neck. “As long as you have that bomb on you, nothing’s certain.”

“Sheesh, thanks for the pep talk.”

“It’s good to see you in good health, Ame-san,” then smiled Isogai, pulling out his phone. “We’ll get you out of here in no time, alright?”

She could only smile back at that. “I’m counting on you.”

“Ame!” Ritsu suddenly appeared on the boy’s screen. “I’m so happy to see you again! Don’t worry, Buta-san thoroughly instructed me, so we’ll get that bomb off in no time!”

The black-haired girl simply nodded, and Itona instantly got to work, Isogai holding the phone while Ritsu guided the purple-haired boy. As nerve-wracking the experience was, though, Ame couldn’t help but feel relaxed, and she realized with a start that she truly, _fully_ trusted them to get her out of this mess—as much as she trusted the Zodiac, in fact.

_Speaking of which, since they’re apparently working together… Ugh, I’ll have a lot of explaining to do once we get back, won’t I? I—_

‘BIP.’ ‘BIP.’ ‘BIP.’

All four students froze at the noise suddenly coming from the necklace. 

“That’s not good, is it?” paled Isogai.

“Damn it, there’s a timer!” cursed Itona, for once showing a semblance of emotion. “Ritsu-san, what do I do?”

“It’s the final stage! You need to cut the blue wire, and switch the black one over there…”

Ame completely tuned out Ritsu’s instructions. She was painfully aware that the necklace could explode at any second, now, but she couldn’t help but feel at ease.

_It’s alright. They’ve got this._

And they did. Next thing she knew, the necklace slipped off her neck and fell on the carpet, the bomb now rendered harmless. Ame let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding, while the boys’ shoulders slumped in relief. Then, unable to help herself, she threw her arms around Itona, bringing the boy in a tight hug.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you—“

“It- it’s fine…” he mumbled, somewhat embarrassed.

He patted her back and, letting out a shuddering breath, she released him and jumped back toher feet. Offering the two of them a blinding smile, she then turned to the railing and looked over at Saru, who was watching them from afar. She offered him a thumbs up, and he grinned back, rising from his seat and instantly disappearing from sight, ready to join in the fun.

“Ame-san, here.” Isogai suddenly offered her a communicator. “It’s time to finish this.”

She nodded eagerly at that, quickly putting on the device and activating it.

“Ame here,” she announced cheerfully. “I’m no longer a safety hazard, so you guys can go all out. And I’m treating everyone to dinner once we’re out of here!”

A few cheers, some chuckles, and numerous sighs of relief answered her. Obviously, the entire cavalry was here, and they had been quite busy, from what she gathered. 

**“It’s good to have you back, Kitsune,”** greeted Usagi. **“Teach 1, Teach 2, you guys can move in and handle Chamuel. Azrael will give you a hand. Korosensei, evacuate the unconscious guests at once. Team 4, get ready to administer the antidote. Everyone else, what’s going on with Tanaka?”**

 **“He was stalling for time but, upon realizing that Raphael wasn’t showing up and no one was answering his calls, he realized the trick and managed to run off,”** answered Karasu, sounding a tad annoyed. **“The others are handling the last of his security as we speak.”**

“Well, sounds like you guys were busy,” chuckled Ame, before shaking her head. “I know where’s Tanaka’s headed, though. Leave him to Saru and me.”

**“You got it.”**

Quickly heading out, Ame was instantly assaulted by a blonde tornado. None other than Rio started shaking her like a ragdoll, loudly scolding her even though she knew that it wasn’t exactly Ame’s fault to begin with, and _why the hell did you never tell me about your job!?_

At that, Ame could only grin impishly. 

“What are you talking about? I did tell you.”

Her friend paused, puzzled. “Uh? When did you…”

::

_“Mind clueing us in? You never did tell me what your job is,” pointed out Karma, crossing his arms behind his head._

_“Ugh, don’t bother,” grunted Rio, rising up. “She’s had that damn job since we started school and she never told me anything about it other than she likes it, that the money’s good and that it’s cool.”_

_“It’s because I’m a secret agent and a super spy, Rio. I can’t go yelling it on the roofs,” deadpanned Ame._

::

“Oh my god, I’m such an _idiot!”_ groaned the blonde, stepping back.

Ame simply patted her shoulder in comfort. “Don’t worry, that’s nothing new.”

“Good to see you haven’t changed, Ame,” snorted Karma, reaching out to ruffle her hair. “We really can’t have a peaceful day with you around, can we?”

“I think Korosensei’s partly to blame for that, though,” she replied, rolling her eyes. 

“Oh, you got her out!”

At the exclamation, the little group reported their attention to the right, where none other than Terasaka, Hazama, Muramatsu, and Yoshida showed up, carrying an unconscious, cuffed, and tied-up Michael. Ame snorted a bit at the sight, before remembering another detail that she hadn’t picked up on until now.

“Hey, what did Usagi mean by _Azrael will give you a hand?”_

“Oh, that? Apparently, you made yourself a new friend who decided to help us out,” answered Rio, scowling a bit. “He’s terrifying, though.”

“So it worked? I’m glad,” sighed Ame, having completely forgotten about that particular detail. She then shook her head. “I’ll explain later. Right now, I’ve got to go after Tanaka.”

“Are you sure it’s safe for you to face him alone?” replied Yoshida, quirking an eyebrow.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured, determined. “He’s not all that strong without his pawns around, and he can’t threaten me anymore.”

“The E-Class was instructed to help with the evacuation and gather outside of the Citadel at that point, in order to clear the way for the Zodiac,” then explained Itona, checking his phone. “If the timing is right, then the last standing member of _Coup de Grâce,_ Chamuel, should be—“

_“RAAAWRGH!”_

“Well, sounds like the timing was perfect,” sweatdropped Muramatsu.

“From what I’ve gathered, Chamuel uses a special drug to enhance his physical abilities, but that basically turns him into a mindless beast, and his rampages can go on for hours,” sighed Ame, shaking her head. “Let’s leave his case to the teachers. Be careful on your way out, alright? I’ll be back before you know it!”

“Kick his ass, Ame!” cheered Rio as the black-haired girl started running. 

“Be careful!” added Isogai, somewhat worried. 

Karma snorted at that. “At that point, I’d be more worried about what kind of state we’ll find that Tanaka guy once she’s through with him.”

The others could only chuckle, agreeing with him. Now that their friend was back on her feet and free to move as she pleased, she definitely wouldn’t go easy on the asshole who kidnapped her—even less so after her classmates and colleagues worked so hard to save her.

* * *

Ame was running. She had stripped a few unconscious guards of their weapons on the way, and she was now running up the stairs leading to the roof. As she slammed the door open and found herself outside, she was suddenly assaulted with memories of _that_ night.

The one she had cracked and almost killed another man.

 _Not the time,_ she scolded herself, breathing in deeply. 

Nagisa had faced his nemesis on the roof of this very hotel, and it was now her turn. She could hear the hurried instructions yelled over the constant noise of spinning propellers, and she swiftly flung herself over the railing. She landed in the middle of the platform, surrounded by ten armed men who instantly aimed their guns at her.

For once, though, those didn’t bother her.

“You’re really nothing but a coward, aren’t you?” she scoffed.

Sitting on the edge of helicopter’s cabin, Tanaka Sho grinned. “I knew you’d catch up.”

“You were waiting for me? I’m flattered,” she drawled, unimpressed.

“Why, of course. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, after all.”

“Still intent on having me join, uh? Well, tough luck: _Coup de Grâce_ is no more.”

He sighed at that. “I must admit, I never would have expected the mighty Zodiac to work with _children,_ even if they’re your oh-so-talented classmates. I underestimated them, and that’s entirely on me. However, that doesn’t matter!” He then extended his hand to her, smirking confidently. “The two of us can turn this world upside-down! We’ll start _Coup de Grâce_ anew and, who knows? Maybe we can even recruit one or two of your friends, while we’re at it.”

“Why are you _so_ convinced I’ll actually join you?” she asked, genuinely confused. “You threatened me, you threatened my friends… You’re ready to abandon your colleagues now that they’ve been caught, all you want is to create mayhem and chaos wherever you go, and you don’t care about the lives that might be harmed or lost because of your childish whims and your temper tantrums. So tell me: _why the hell should I follow you?”_

A heavy silence ensued, his gaze unwavering and confident, her glare proud and defiant. After a few seconds of rising tension, though, they were suddenly snapped out of their intense stare-down by the sound of bodies collapsing. In barely five seconds, the ten armed men that had been previously keeping Ame in check were now on the ground, unconscious. Then, something flew above Ame’s head and landed right into the helicopter’s cabin, next to Tanaka.

The girl’s eyes widened in recognition. “Oh shit!”

Before she could even move, someone grabbed her and pulled her down, dragging her behind some heavy boxes. There was a loud curse, followed a mild explosion, and it took her a few seconds to realize that she was now being held by none other than Saru, who grinned down at her when their eyes met.

“Yo.”

She snorted. “Always have to make an entrance, don’t you?”

“Please, you know you love it. Anyway, you can head back down, and I’ll handle the rest—“

 _“Ame!!!”_ Both stiffened as Tanaka called out to her, seemingly in pain. 

“Ame, don’t—“

“I want answers, Saru,” she stated, pulling out of his grasp and rising to her feet. 

He didn’t try to stop her as she stepped out of their hiding place, walking over toward the edge of the landing platform. The helicopter was now a burning mess of melting metal and fuming ruins and, contrarily to the two Zodiac members, Tanaka hadn’t escaped from the small explosion unscathed. He was crawling toward the edge, his legs thoroughly burned, but he perked up when he saw her approach.

“I- I’ll tell you!” he choked out, forcing himself to sit up. She stopped about two meters away from him, and his grin turned sinister. “I’ll tell you. Not- not why you will join me… but why you will leave the- the Zodiac.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, unimpressed. “Talk, and talk _fast._ I’m not in the mood to waste any more time because of you.”

Saru frowned, walking up behind her. “Ame, maybe this isn’t the best idea—“

“Saru, I love you, I really do, but shut up.”

“Ah! _Love_ him?” barked out Tanaka, apparently finding the notion hilarious. “You really didn’t tell her anything, did you, Saru?”

“Tell me _what?”_

She shot a look at her Leader, but his frown had vanished to leave place to a resigned expression, and he stubbornly kept silent. Understanding she wasn’t about to get any answers from him, she reported her attention to Tanaka.

“Tell me what?” she asked again, growing impatient. “What’s going on!?”

“I know a lot about you, Ame,” he stated, obviously enjoying the situation. Even if he could no longer run, he could still land a final blow on the Zodiac. “I know about the E-Class. I know about the orphanage. I even know whyyour sweet grandmother took you in in the first place!”

“That’s common knowledge,” she snapped. _For people like us, at least._ “What of it?”

“How did your parents die, Ame?”

Her frown deepened at that. “A car accident. If you know so much about me, what—“

“But was it?” Silence. He grinned. “Was it _really_ an accident?”

“… what are you trying to say?”

He cackled at that, completely losing it. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re a bright girl, Ame, I’m sure you can connect the dots together! Have you never found it strange, how Saru took a sudden interest in you? Why would the Zodiac bother taking in a random brat? What made you _so_ special, uh?” She kept silent, and his grin only widened even more. “I’m sure you get it at that point, but I’ll tell you anyway: the reason why Saru decided to take you in wasn’t because you were _special,_ but because he _pitied_ you.”

* * *

_“Mommy?”_

_“Oh, you’re still awake?” chuckled her mother, patting her head._

_“I can’t sleep… There’s a monster under the bed…”_

_“Oh, really? In that case, we should ask daddy to handle it,” mused her mother, picking her up. “He likes to hunt monsters, you know? He’s the best at it.”_

_“Really?” gasped the four-year-old girl._

_“Really!” Her father suddenly showed up, grinning from ear to ear. “A monster, you said? Is it because of the noises you keep hearing?”_

_“Y- yeah…”_

_“In that case, I’ve got the greatest trick for you.” He took her in his arms, slowly making his way back to her room. “If you’re ever scared of a strange noise and think it’s a monster, there’s only one thing to do: make a noise even stranger than his!”_

_“Uh? What for, daddy?”_

_“Because it’s a way to show that you’re stronger than the monster! So whenever you’re scared, make the weirdest, loudest noise you can, and it’ll scare them, instead.”_

_The child laughed at that. “That’s silly, daddy.”_

_He simply grinned back. “But it works, trust me. Now, off to bed, alright?”_

_“Hm. Goodnight, daddy.”_

_“Goodnight, baby angel.”_

_Once he tucked her in, the black-haired man pressed a light kiss on her forehead, and headed back to the common room. He shared a knowing smile with his wife but, just as he settled down on the couch beside her, the floor creaked loudly. For a second, they expected the girl to get up again, but then—_

_“Gwargh!!!”_

_Silence. Then, a childish giggle. Husband and wife shared a look, and the woman snorted._

_“This is going to become a thing, isn’t it?”_

* * *

“That’s not it,” grunted Saru, clenching his fists.

“He was just trying to make up for a _mistake,_ you know?”

* * *

_“Mommy? Mommy, where are you?”_

_She was lost. How could she have gotten lost? Just as the tears started brimming her eyes, though, a familiar voice called out to her._

_“Ame!!!”_

_“Mo- Mommy!”_

_Relieved, the woman was quick to wrap her arms around the girl. She hadn’t expected to lose sight of her in the market, but was she glad to have found her._

_“I thought- I thought you left me…” sobbed the child._

_“Never, baby angel,” murmured the woman, gently stroking her hair. “I love you too much for that.”_

_Nodding, the child then quickly rubbed her eyes to get rid of the last traces of tears, before beaming up at her mother and grabbing her hand._

_“Let’s go! There’s new books in the library!”_

_“Alright, alright,” chuckled the woman, letting the kid drag her along._

* * *

“You’re wrong!”

“He took you in in order to assuage his guilt, not because he actually cared!”

* * *

_“Mommy, where are you going?”_

_“To run an errand, baby angel,” answered the woman, pressing a kiss on the girl’s forehead. “We’ll be back in about thirty minutes, alright? And we’ll make pancakes together.”_

_The child perked up at that. “Pancakes? Really?”_

_“Really. I know how much you love them,” chuckled her mother._

_“Don’t cause any trouble now, pipsqueak,” teased her father, ruffling her hair as he passed by her to reach the door. “And if there’s anything wrong, you can call us or grandma, alright? It won’t take long, I promise.”_

_“Okay!” Overjoyed at the idea of making pancakes—though mostly, at the idea of eating them—the child wrapped her arms around her mother’s legs. “I love you, mommy.”_

_“Love you too, sweetheart.”_

* * *

“That’s not true!” insisted Saru, gritting his teeth.

“You’re just a charity case in his eyes! A way to make himself feel just a little bit better about his worthless existence!”

* * *

_“Obaa-san… Where are they? Where are mommy and daddy?”_

_Her grandmother stifled a sob. “I’m sorry, dearest. They’re… Mommy and daddy aren’t coming back.”_

_The child looked at her in confusion. “But why? They promised they’d be back soon. Why is it taking so long, Obaa-san?”_

_That day was the day Naoki Ame became an orphan, and the sadness and loneliness gripping her heart was simply too much to bear._

_It was also the last time she cried._

* * *

“Because _he’s_ the one who killed them! Saru’s the one who killed your parents!!!”

Silence.

Absolute, complete, _suffocating_ silence.

::

_“Hm. Goodnight, daddy.”_

_“Goodnight, baby angel.”_

::

_“I thought- I thought you left me…”_

_“Never, baby angel. I love you too much for that.”_

::

_“I love you, mommy.”_

_“Love you too, sweetheart.”_

::

_“I’m sorry, dearest. They’re… Mommy and daddy aren’t coming back.”_

_“But why? They promised they’d be back soon. Why is it taking so long, Obaa-san?”_

::

Ame wasn’t saying anything, her head lowered and her bangs covering her eyes. Saru didn’t dare utter a word, his own silence incriminating him even more, and Tanaka… Tanaka was having the time of his _life._

“Do you see it, now? We’re the same, you and I! Because of him! He took away everything! So now, will you join me?” He extended a shaking hand toward her, grinning. “Kill him! Kill him and join me, and we’ll make the rest of the Zodiac pay!”

“… no.”

A beat. A silence.

Tanaka’s smile wavered a bit. “W- what? What do you mean—“

“I said _no._ I’m not joining you,” she repeated firmly, looking up to glare at him.

“But- but _why?_ It’s his fault!” he snapped, his anger and disbelief taking over. “He destroyed your life! He lied to you! _He killed your parents!!!”_

At that, though, her glare vanished, and she smiled.

It was bittersweet, but genuine.

“I already knew that.”


	32. Thirty-Second Period: Moving Forward Time

…

…

…

“W- what?” spluttered Tanaka, paling dramatically. “What do you—“

“I already knew that,” she repeated, unperturbed by the genuinely shocked stare Saru was sparing her. “Since we’re on the subject of intense revelations, though, I might as well pitch in, uh? Let me tell you a little secret, Tanaka Sho: Saru is not the one who killed your father—“ She suddenly lifted a gun she had picked up earlier, making him freeze as she aimed it as his head, a somewhat feral grin gracing her lips. “— _I_ am.”

“Ame—!”

She fired without a second thought. The hollow noise echoed like a crack of thunder for a few seconds before Tanaka’s eyes rolled back in their sockets and the man collapsed on the ground. After a second or so, though, the black-haired girl snorted, lowering the gun.

“Don’t make that face, Saru. ‘Twas a blank, ya know? He just passed out ‘cause of da shock.”

The man let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding, taking a better look at their now unconscious foe. As told, saved for the injuries caused by the explosion, there was no gunshot wound in his head nor a puddle of blood growing under him. Clicking her tongue, the girl threw the gun aside, rubbing her somewhat dirty hands on the dress she was still wearing.

“… how long have you known?”

Saru’s voice was uncharacteristically subdued, and she heaved out a sigh, running a hand through her now loose hair and trying to find her words. She hadn’t expected the night to turn out that way, but she probably should have seen it coming. 

“I found out about a year after you took me in,” she then admitted, offering him a dry, resigned smile. “I’m not stupid—one of the many reasons why you took an interest in me in the first place, uh?—and I thought it strange that you would put so much effort into a brat like me. I already had my suspicions, but I couldn’t just ask directly, you know? So, one night, I snuck into the archives and found what I was looking for.”

“… the mission.”

“The mission,” she confirmed, her voice softening as she lifted her eyes to the night sky. “Even if I kind of knew already, it was a shock. Not finding out about the assassination, no, but finding out that the only reason you took me in in the first place was to repay a self-imposed debt.”

“Your parents were good people,” he murmured, lowering his head. “They were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and they became a loose end that our client couldn’t afford to let go. At the time, the Zodiac was still struggling to climb the power ladder of the Underworld, so we took any mission that was offered—even the worst ones.”

“I know. I read the entire report, remember?” she replied, faint amusement edging in her voice. “As much as I loved my parents, though… I don’t really remember them, to be honest. I was so young when it happened… I barely have a few memories, and the only reason I haven’t forgotten their faces is because of the pictures Obaa-san kept.” Biting her lower lip, she finally reported her attention to her Leader. “Saru… I don’t hold you responsible. In fact, I never did. I was hurt because you lied to me, but… the truth of the matter is that, in all of those years that we’ve known each other, you basically became my family, you know? You and everyone else in the Zodiac are amongst the people I cherish the most and, well, yeah, the circumstances that brought us together suck, but there’s just no point in lingering in the past.” Unable to help herself, she crossed the distance separating her from Saru and wrapped her arms around him. He stiffened, but she didn’t let go. “I don’t hate you, Saru. If anything, I’m thankful to have you in my life—even if you did kind of made me an orphan for that to happen.”

He choked out a disbelieving laugh, hesitantly wrapping his own arms around her. “You’re such a weird girl, Ame… We really made a mess out of you, haven’t we?”

“Maybe,” she shrugged, unable to fully deny it. “I doubt I’d be the same person had my parents been there. But, well, I wouldn’t have had my family at the orphanage, and I wouldn’t have met any of you guys, and I certainly wouldn’t have ended up in the E-Class with the most amazing classmates and the greatest teachers, you know?” Looking up, she grinned. “I may be a bit messed up, but I like my life as it is now, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

At that, he finally relaxed a bit, chuckling as he tightened the hug. “Glad to hear it. And glad to have you back, Ame.”

“Glad to be back.”

* * *

Naoki Ame’s parents were assassinated under the guise of a car accident when she was four-year-old. So, when she cried, she cried because she cared, yes, but mostly because she was afraid of being alone. Once she got used to living with her grandmother, though, the fear subsided, leaving place to the sheer desire to repay her in any way she could for her kindness—for not leaving her alone. 

When she was six-year-old, she started pickpocketing. Nothing big, of course, not enough to get noticed, but what she hadn’t counted on was for someone else to be watching over her. And, a little while after she turned seven, she met Saru face-to-face for the first time. He told her that she had talent, that she was _special,_ and that he wanted to offer her a job. And, well, she first suspected him to be a pedophile (which led to a hilariously awkward debate) before she finally agreed, and next thing she knew, he started training her as a future member of the Zodiac.

When she found out about the assassination mission, Ame was pissed and hurt. She had thought Saru had taken her in because he had seen her potential, because he had told her she was _special,_ but she now realized that it really was just because he felt bad and wanted to assuage his guilt, in one way or the other. However, she didn’t say anything and, as the years passed, she realized that it wasn’t _entirely_ true.

She rationalized that, had her potential actually not been worth noticing, he would have simply settled for watching her from afar. As it turned out, though, he offered her colleagues she could get along with, friends she could count on, another family that genuinely cared about her—and she simply couldn’t hold his decision against him when looking at all of the good that came out of it. So, she simply decided to forget about it and move on with her life.

As it turned out, it was probably the best decision she ever made, and she would do it all over again if she was given the choice.

* * *

Saru and Ame met up with the rest of the Zodiac at the bottom of the tower, just outside. The guests were slowly starting to wake up thanks to the antidote created and administered by Hebi, and all of the members of _Coup de Grâce_ were cuffed and unconscious. When they arrived downstairs, the Leader was quick to throw Tanaka Sho’s body to Yagi, who grunted but got to work on the man’s injuries anyway.

“Ame!”

Relieved, Hebi was the first to run up to her and bring her into a tight hug. Laughing, the teen was quick to return the embrace, as relieved at her. After what, well, it was pretty much a round of hugs, pats on the back, or hair ruffling, depending on the member. Hell, Same offered her a very bland smile, and she bumped fists with Ondori—in other words, two of the members who actually disliked her acted civilly, and it gave her the _creeps._

All was explained when Saru revealed that he had told them the truth about the first Inu.

“Thank God we decided to play all cards on the table and that no more secrets were allowed within the organization, uh?” drawled sarcastically Karasu.

“Now, now, you’re just bitter because that’s the first time you didn’t know something,” teased Uma, poking his cheek.

“I am _not!”_

Ame laughed, shaking her head. “Ah, I missed you guys. And to think you’d team up with the E-Class, too! Though, what’s going to happen now?”

“Well, we already told them the truth about the organization,” shrugged Tora. “We’ve told them about the Zodiac’s purpose, we showed them our faces, and they know you’ve been a member for a few years, now. The only thing they don’t know is our real names and our personal backgrounds.”

“So they know everything, then,” she sighed, rubbing her temples. 

“It was a unanimous decision to seek their aid and reveal the necessary information in order to get them to cooperate with us,” assured Usagi, offering her a small smile. “Plus, now that they know, it’ll be a lot easier to work with them, right?”

She couldn’t help but smile back at that. “Right. Speaking of the E-Class, though… Where are they?”

“At the hotel, down at the beach,” answered Ryu, patting her head. “They’re a stubborn bunch—wouldn’t leave until we promised that you’d join them. They must be waiting for you right now.”

“We’ll finish cleaning up here,” added Uma, winking her way. “You go ahead, and we’ll catch up properly once we’re back to our headquarters, alright?”

“Right. Then- then, I’m going!”

She suddenly felt restless, impatient to properly meet up with her classmates. Now that no more secrets clouded her relationship with them, it felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and all she wanted now was to meet up with her friends and celebrate: the traitor was gone, _Coup de Grâce_ was no more, and she didn’t have to lie to them anymore. Plus, after two days of captivity, all she wanted was to run wild and do as she pleased. So, with a cheery wave of the hand, Ame kicked off her heels and started running.

She didn’t get very far, though.

“Hello, Naoki-san! So good to see you!”

“Korosensei!” she gasped, grinning from ear to ear. “I never thought I’d see the day, but I really, really missed you!”

“Niryufufufu. I am glad to see you as well— _eh?”_

He stayed frozen in place as Ame hugged him tightly but, much to his surprise, she didn’t try anything like she usually would. After a few seconds, she pulled away, still smiling.

“What? No assassination attempt?” he teased, half-curious.

“No, not tonight, Korosensei,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “I think everyone had enough action for one day. I’ll kill you tomorrow, alright?”

“I’ll hold you to that, Naoki-san. Now, let us join your classmates, shall we?”

“Right!”

* * *

To say Ame’s return was eagerly awaited would be an understatement. Every single one of her classmates was waiting for her in the common lounge and, as soon as she stepped foot inside and greeted them with her usual aloof smile, all hell broke loose. Most of the girls broke down in relieved tears as they suffocated Ame in a group hug, and the black-haired girl spent about ten or fifteen minutes just reassuring them and helping them calm down.

“I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“Scaring us like that!”

“Don’t do that again!”

“Waa, we were so worried!”

As relieved as everyone was, though, there was no denying that everyone was tired. Now that the stress and adrenaline had worn off, all of the students were positively exhausted, and it was a unanimous decision to wait until they returned to school to ask questions. 

While the students made their way toward their rooms, though, Ame lingered behind. She waited for a few minutes in the common hall until two figures finally stepped inside.

“Karasuma-sensei, Bitch-sensei!”

“Ooh? So you made it out after all,” mused Irina, placing a hand on her hip. “Good for you.”

“It’s thanks to you and everyone else.” She bowed deeply. “Thank you. I owe you my life.”

Karasuma offered her a brief smile. “I certainly didn’t sign up for this, but I suppose it couldn’t be helped. Try to stay out of trouble from here on out, alright?”

“No promises,” she replied, grinning a bit. “You’ve got to admit, your life would be pretty boring without me in it, uh?”

“Am I to concluded that having a deadly explosive attached to your neck for a few days wasn’t enough excitement for you, then?”

A bead of sweat formed on her brow. “Right. Point to you.”

They spent a few minutes catching up, mostly with Karasuma explaining how he and Irina, along with Azrael, had handled the threat that was Chamuel. As it turned out, the cheerful and somewhat goofy man was also the most dangerous, since he used a special type of drug to enhance his physical strength—with the said drug having the side effect of making him lose his mind, turning him into the perfect killing machine. However, after having spent so many months trying to deal with an actual monster… well, needless to say, Chamuel didn’t stand much of a chance, and he was truly doomed once Azrael decided to switch sides.

“That being said, why, exactly, did he jump ship?” then asked Irina, frowning. 

“Oh, they were using on him a variant of the drug that Chamuel used, though it was against his will. Raphael was pretty dumb despite his genius—it wasn’t all that hard to switch some products around. Since I had that stupid necklace, they didn’t really bother with extra security, so I was pretty much free to do as I pleased, so long as I didn’t cause trouble.” She shrugged, not really knowing what else to say. “In the end, their arrogance was their downfall. To be frank, I wasn’t expecting Azrael to actually help us out—if anything, I was hoping he’d simply make use of the commotion to run away—but I’m glad he stuck around.”

Karasuma narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re thinking of recruiting him, aren’t you?”

She simply smirked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

* * *

Returning to the usual routine was both a relief and a shock, for Ame. After spending over three days in captivity with her life being constantly on the line, the stress finally got the best of her and she crashed for two entire days, not waking up once. When she did, though, it was to find her life… pretty much just like she left it. 

The children had been overjoyed to see her after an entire week and, though relieved, her grandmother had scolded her for disappearing for days without even leaving a message. She had been told that Ame had been spending the night over at Rio’s and that they had been intensely studying with some other of their classmates in order to prepare for the end-of-term exams that were approaching. So, even if she was a little put out to not have been warned directly by Ame, she was glad to see that her granddaughter was finally taking her studies seriously.

Once she rested properly, she met up with the entire Zodiac once again to properly clear up everything that had happened. She briefed her fellow members about what had happened during her captivity, along with all of the information she had managed to pick up while she was at it, and they then explained to her the entirety of the plan that had been put in motion with the help of the E-Class. With everything that had transpired, she had now been granted special permission to share information about the Zodiac with her friends, and it wasn’t a privilege that she was going to take for granted. While she no longer had to lie to her friends, she wasn’t about to just spill everything about their organization, either—the other members trusted her more than ever, and she wasn’t about to betray that trust.

Tanaka Sho was arrested, but the other members of _Coup de Grâce_ went MIA. Karasu stated that, following the awakening of the guests, the confusion that had taken over the entire Citadel had created enough of a commotion to allow for a swift escape, and that the now missing members had, most assuredly, used the panic of the crowd to their advantage. However, Ame wasn’t worried. From what she had seen in the few days she had spent with them, they weren’t a tight-knit group like the Zodiac—in other words, they wouldn’t come after her to avenger their leader. Plus, her name had now finally been taken off the Dark List, so that was a plus.

With all of the secrets finally out in the open, both inside and outside of the organization, and with head now target-free, Ame finally felt like she could actually breathe. From here on out, she’d be able to pursue her studies in a semi-normal manner, without having to worry about assassins coming after her, or traitors in their midst, or classmates asking too many questions to which she wasn’t allowed to answer. 

From here on out, she could just… be free.

With that thought in mind, it was with a bounce in her step that she actually walked to school the following day, for the first time in _months._ By her side, Itona was already exhausted by the seemingly endless energy of the usually aloof black-haired girl, but he couldn’t really bring himself to put a damper on her spirits. It was a pretty rare sight to see her acting so genuinely carefree, after all.

* * *

.

.

They now had exactly four months left to assassinate Korosensei, and Ame was already scheming. Now that she was free to move around as she pleased, it was time to get her head back in the game and get started on the real work!

… or so she thought, until she realized that they had some actual _school_ work to do.

“Sheesh, I completely forgot about those…”

Career counseling was a normal step to take toward the end of their last year in high school, but Ame hadn’t really paid much thought to her future, up until now. At the beginning of the year, she simply didn’t care and was planning to become a full-time member of the Zodiac. But then, Korosensei happened, and it put everything into perspective.

_A second blade, uh?_

And now, with Saru’s plan to make her into the new Leader of the Zodiac, things were only getting more complicated. Of course, she wouldn’t give up her membership for the world—she _liked_ that job, despite the mild immorality that accompanied it—but there were now other options to consider: did she really want to become the Leader? _Could_ she actually do that? And if she really followed down that path, then _her_ future wasn’t the only one she needed to think about—she needed to think about the organization’s future, as well.

_Ugh, and here I was hoping for a simple life…_

“Ooh? Is that octopus seriously doing career counseling?”

Ame looked up from the still-blank form that was on her desk, and she almost choked at the sight that greeted her, much like most of her classmates.

“Bitch-sensei…!”

“In regular clothes!?”

“Right, regular, old, cheap clothes,” confirmed Irina, clicking her tongue. “Just trying to match your regular old world.” She quickly grew unconfident at the continued silence, though. “What? You want me to show more skin after all?”

“No—hiding it has actually made you sexier…!” choked out Okajima, blood pouring out of his nose.

“In- in a way, you’ve grown!” gasped Mimura.

“Oi, Nakamura-san!!!” suddenly exclaimed Nagisa, jumping to his feet. “ _You_ wrote this! Why would you warp a person’s career path like that!?”

“Men’s work doesn’t suit you,” teased Rio.

“Nurse or maid, uh?” sweatdropped Ame, reading over Nagisa’s shoulder. “You’re pretty mean, Rio. Give the poor boy a break, would you?”

“Maa, maa, you know I’m right,” grinned the blonde, unperturbed. She then noticed that Ame’s form was still blank. “You haven’t written anything?”

“Well, I can’t exactly write down that my plan for the future is to become a full-time member of an info-broke gang, can I?” drawled the black-haired girl, glaring a bit at the blank sheet. “If I tell the school board that I stalk people for a living, they’ll have my hide.”

“Are you planning on going full-time as soon as we graduate?” then asked Karma, walking up behind them and holding two flyers. “If not, let’s hit Thailand or Morocco together!”

“What, two trips on a paradisiac island wasn’t enough of an adventure for you?” mused Ame.

“Well, contrarily to _someone,_ I don’t consider breaking into a highly protected tower, fighting armed men, and rescuing classmates from imminent death a vacation,” he deadpanned.

“What can I say? It’s not a _real_ vacation unless you get to let loose and beat up a couple of thugs,” she replied, half-meaning it.

They bantered for a bit, with Rio joining in at some point, while Nagisa simply focused on erasing the dumb answers the blonde girl had written on his form. As she chatted with her friends, though, Ame couldn’t help but pay attention to the blue-haired boy. She had an inkling as to what he was planning to do, and why he hadn’t written down anything, and she didn’t really know how to feel about it.

_If my guess is right, then he’ll come to me before the end of the day._

“Oh, Ame-chan!” Kurahashi suddenly called out, entering the classroom. “It’s your turn!”

“Alright, coming!”

With a quick wave to her friends, Ame then made her way out of the classroom, and in direction of the teachers’ office. Since Irina was in class, and since Karasuma was still busy cleaning up after the Zodiac and the E-Class, it meant that she would be alone with Korosensei. She somewhat doubted his abilities regarding career counseling, what with being an extremely dangerous and volatile creature that was threatening to blow up the Earth in four months, but who was she to tell, really?”

“Korosensei? I’m here,” she called out, knocking lightly on the door.

“Come on in!”

She did as told, closing the door behind her before going to take the seat in front of the yellow octopus. She handed over her empty form, and he simply nodded. 

“I take it you are planning on becoming a full-time member of the Zodiac, then?”

“I am.”

His eternal grin stretched a little wider. “Yet you’re having doubts.”

“… not about my membership, per se,” she admitted, leaning back in her seat. “I want to stay a member of the Zodiac, I want to keep going on jobs with them, I want to keep working with them and… and I guess that, eventually, I want to rise up to Saru’s expectations and become the next Leader of the Zodiac.” She bit her lip, a tad frustrated. “It’s a lot of responsibilities, though, and I just… I don’t know if I’ll be able to really answer to those expectations.”

“Hm, I see. In that case, let me ask you one thing: what if, instead of looking at it as _‘What can the Zodiac do with me?’,_ you should look at it as _‘What can I do with the Zodiac?’.”_

She tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re currently doubting your ability to rise up to the expectations the organization has towards you. However, in any aspect of life, becoming a leader isn’t merely about following others’ expectations—it’s about rising up to our own, and guiding other people to meet them. In your case, if you are truly planning on taking up the mantle that your Leader is offering you, then I believe you should first question yourself on what, exactly, you want to do once you receive that title. What kind of changes do you want to bring? What kind of purpose will guide you? How do you intend to redefine the Zodiac?”

“Change? Redefine?” She chuckled nervously, crossing her arms over her chest, shaking her head. “I’m not planning anything that grand, Korosensei.”

“Yet change is bound to happen, whether you like it or not. No matter how you might try, you will never be the same Leader as Saru is,” he replied, a tad sharply. “You are your own person, Naoki-san and, as such, you will eventually become your own kind of Leader. And, when that happens, the Zodiac will fall in step with you. Now, that being said, toward what kind of future do you intend to lead them?”

Ame didn’t have an answer, and he didn’t press for one. Quietly thanking him for his time, the young girl then left the office, her heart in turmoil and her mind blank.

* * *

Instead of returning to the classroom, Ame stepped outside and went to sit on the stairs, deep in thoughts. Korosensei’s questions kept on popping up in her head, making more and more of a mess as she tried to think things through and find the correct answer. 

_“Toward what kind of future do you intend to lead them?”_

As they were now, the Zodiac was nothing more than another yakuza gang amongst so many others. And sure, they were considered the elite amongst all other info-broker groups, but what was their purpose? Their goal? It had always been to strive in this world that had rejected them, to lift themselves up when they were pushed down, to find somewhere to belong to… _That_ was the kind of future Saru had promised them and, staying true to his word, that was the kind of future he led them to. 

_“Yet change is bound to happen, whether you like it or not. No matter how you might try, you will never be the same Leader as Saru is.”_

Then what kind of Leader was she supposed to become? Or rather… what kind of Leader did she _want_ to become?

“Ame-san?”

She startled a bit, looking up. Beside her was now standing Isogai, who offered her a smile and a juice box. Surprised, she accepted it with a small smile, and he sat down next to her.

“What brings you out here, Isogai-kun?” she asked, curious. She gestured to the grey clouds slowly gathering above their heads. “Surely not this lovely weather we’re having.”

“We saw you rush outside a few minutes ago, and we were all a little worried,” he admitted, scratching the back of his head. “After all, even though we now know what’s going on, you still haven’t told us much… and, well, with everything that’s happened—“

“I intend to stay a member of the Zodiac. Become it’s Leader, in fact, if everything goes like Saru planned,” she admitted, her stomach fluttering a bit. She still hadn’t gotten used to speaking so freely of the organization, and it made her immensely happy. “But I don’t know what I’ll do once I claim that title. I guess I just came out here to clear my mind a bit.”

“Leader, uh? Sounds like it’ll be a lot of responsibilities,” he mused, seemingly unperturbed by the notion of one of his friends becoming a yakuza Head. “But if anyone can do it, it’s certainly you, Ame-san.”

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “Well, you’ve got a way with people, I guess. Even when we didn’t trust each other completely, or even when we didn’t see eye to eye, you still managed to convince us to follow you, you know?”

“Follow me where, though…”

“Uh?”

At his confused expression, she sighed. “It’s something Korosensei told me. It’s all well and good to become a Leader, but what happens after that? What will I accomplish then? The Zodiac initially came together as a foster family, so to speak—so that people like us would have a place to call home, you know? And now that we’ve climbed the social ladder of the Underworld, now that we’ve gained our renown, now that we’ve established our power… well, I don’t really know what’s left to do.”

Isogai stayed silent for a moment, seriously thinking over what she just told him. It was one of the many reasons why Ame had found herself warming up to the boy. Not only did they share numerous similarities, but he was also a mature and reliable guy, and a good friend. She wasn’t exactly asking for advice, but he was still willing to offer some, while seriously thinking over her plight and figuring out a way to help her.

_He’s really too much of a nice guy, uh?_

“Well, what do you want to do with that kind of power?” he finally asked.

“I’m sorry?”

“You said that the organization had already established its power,” he repeated, tapping his chin. “So, what do you want to do with it?” Noticing her somewhat blank expression, he decided to try another approach. “Look at it this way: had the Zodiac not been an option, what would you have done with your future? What kind of career would you have chosen? What kind of person would you have become, and what goal would you have sought to achieve?” He offered her another smile. “Outside of the Zodiac, you’re your own person, Ame-san. So, as your own person, what do you want to do?”

This time around, it was Ame’s turn to fall silent, though she was mostly left speechless by the ease with which Isogai had narrowed down on the problem and seemingly offered her a viable solution. She hadn’t thought about things that way and, now that he had asked those questions, it felt as if her future had just become a little bit clearer.

“What kind of career, uh…?” She’d never thought about it before, it had always been about the Zodiac, after all. Smirking a bit, she glanced back at him. “What kind of career would you have seen me pursue, Isogai-kun?”

“I’m not sure. Nothing as mundane as a teacher or a secretary, you’d get bored too easily,” he pointed out, a tad teasingly. He glanced up at the greying sky. “Probably something to do with public relations… A diplomat, maybe? A detective? Or maybe a lawyer?”

She couldn’t help but snort. “A lawyer? _Me?_ The girl who respects everything _but_ the law?”

“But if you became a lawyer, you’d no longer have to go against the law—you’d just find every single loophole in order to exploit it to the maximum,” he replied, before offering her a mildly sheepish grin. “Now that I’ve said it, though, the thought of you becoming a lawyer is terrifying—no offense.”

She chuckled at that. “None taken. When you put it that way, I guess I kind of get your point. If I was to become a lawyer, though, I’d probably go into Criminal or something.”

“And being an info-broker, you’d easily find dirt on any of your opponents, uh?” he chuckled.

“Well, now you’re just tempting me, Isogai-kun.”

They shared a laugh at that, but their peaceful moment was soon broken by a crack of thunder. Ame rose up to her feet, stretching her arms.

“Well, we should head back inside before it starts pouring,” she remarked, still smiling. “Thanks for the help, Isogai-kun.”

“I- I didn’t really do much, though…” he replied, averting his eyes.

“You listened to me. And then, you gave me good advice. As far as I’m concerned, your help was the most precious.” She patted his shoulder, before walking away toward the building. As she reached the door, though, she glanced back and offered him a grin. “And thanks for the juice box!”

As she disappeared inside, Isogai stayed rooted on the spot, his eyes wide and his heart beating a tad too fast. For some reason, the grin she had just offered him had made the rainclouds part and the sun shine through. 

_“As far as I’m concerned, your help was the most precious.”_

_Ame-san…_

‘CRACK!’

Thunder echoed again, and the cold downpour almost instantly drenched him from head to toe, effectively snapping him out of his daze. Shaking his head, he then quickly returned inside, a tad troubled by whatever feeling he had just experienced.

* * *

.

.

“Ame-san, can I talk with you?”

Having expected it, Ame nodded and gestured for Nagisa to follow her. Since it was raining outside, they found their way to an empty hallway where they wouldn’t be disturbed by the other students, and she leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest.

“So? Decided to become an assassin?”

He chuckled nervously at that. “You’re really perceptive, aren’t you?”

“Part of the skills you pick up as an info-broker.” She stared at him for a moment, then sighed. “The Zodiac is, first and foremost, a group of info-brokers. Sure, we have a few members who are assassins and who take individual contracts on the side, but it’s not the primary focus of the organization. If you really intend to become an assassin, I’m sure we’d be able to open up a spot for you once you’ve finished your training… but I don’t know if it’s the kind of life that would suit you, Nagisa-kun.”

“And yet, my only talent is in assassination,” he replied, a tad bitterly. 

“There’s no denying that, out of all of us, you’ve got the greatest potential and skills when it comes to assassination,” she nodded. “But it’s not your _only_ talent. You have many others, but you just haven’t learned to properly exploit them.” Her expression darkened a bit. “Becoming an assassin… it’s not the kind of decision that you can back out of. As soon as you’ve killed someone, it stays with you for the rest of your life. Are you really sure you can carry that burden?” He didn’t answer, and she reached out to pat his shoulder. “Just because you’re good at it doesn’t mean you should do it. Life is all about overcoming obstacles and showing the middle finger at adversity, right? So, even if it’s troublesome, look a little deeper into it, and think a little harder about it. If by graduation, you’ve truly made up your mind about becoming an assassin, then I can promise you a place in the Zodiac, in the future—but know that we won’t welcome a half-hearted member with a half-assed determination. You’ll have to be absolutely certain, alright?”

At that, he nodded, smiling a bit. “Alright. Thank you, Ame-san.”

“Of course.”

* * *

It’s barely a day later that Nagisa gave her a definitive answer. After a small, fiery, and assassin-ish incident with his mother (the crazy woman had tried to set the E-Class building on fire, only to be interrupted by an assassin who was targeting Korosensei), the blue-haired boy appeared before her with a newfound resolve.

“I’m thankful for your offer, but I’ll have to decline.”

“Good,” she simply replied, her lips quirking up as she ruffled his hair. “As talented as you are when it comes to assassination, you’re just too cute to be a killer.”

“Too- too cute!?” His shoulders slumped in despair. “You sound like Nakamura-san…”

She laughed. “Don’t mind, don’t mind~.”

But, while Nagisa’s struggles with his own future were seemingly dealt with, Ame still had her own demons haunting her. Both Korosensei’s and Isogai’s words kept on running in a loop in her head but, no matter how many times she thought about it, she simply couldn’t find an answer.

_What the hell am I supposed to do?_


	33. Thirty-Third Period: School Rivalry Time

“The main campus sure is getting hyped about this year’s festival,” stated Isogai, half-amused. He was standing at the front of the classroom along with Takaoka—the two Class Representatives. “Probably figure we’re up to something, even if we can’t win.”

“I heard that this Asano guy actually contracted with a restaurant, of all things,” remarked Sugino, clicking his tongue.

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” snorted bitterly Rio.

“We’ll just have to go for the win,” announced simply Korosensei. “This match will likely hinge on a compilation of everything _but_ assassination and studying.”

“I really don’t want to lose to the A-Class… but what can we do?” wondered Kimura.

“Asano-kun is right—you have to tap into that sense of getting a bargain. If you can use a tight budget to make something of greater value, the customers will come. Now, everyone, the answers are all around you!” exclaimed cheerfully their octopus teacher. “The value of the E-Class here lies in this, this, this, and this!” He alternatively showed them plants, weeds, fishes, and wild mushrooms. “These ingredients are like you: hidden in the mountains where no one notices their efforts!”

“So we attack our customers with hidden weapons!” understood Terasaka, grinning. “Makes for a pretty assassin-y restaurant!”

“Exactly,” nodded Korosensei, his grin widening. “Now, to sell these blades like you’re going in for the kill…”

* * *

Ame had never participated in a School Festival before. She had never been particularly interested to begin with, and she had better things to do. So, more often than not, she skipped the whole week altogether, to avoid both the preparations and the event. However, this year was different, seeing as she was now a member of the E-Class—and, most importantly, she had the opportunity to really use her skills in a fun and useful way!

“Over there!”

“Got it!”

“Be careful!”

After working their asses off for an entire week, they had finally managed to create an event worthy of the Kunugigaoka School Festival, which had gained renown nationwide. They had put in place the “Acorn Café”, using the very resources of the mountain to create cheap, simple, and _delicious_ meals. Sugaya had created posters and pamphlets, Okajima had taken pictures of the food for the menu, Hazama had written the description of each item, and Mimura had even created a special website.

Everyone worked in shifts in order to facilitate the work that had to be done, and Ame was a member of the team in charge of gathering the food. Running throughout the forest and scavenging the entire mountain was a new and surprisingly fun experience, and she was having a great time doing parkour competitions with the others while she was at it.

“Isogai-kun, Kurahashi and I are heading back to the café to bring in our haul!” she called out, lifting two bags filled to the brim with wild mushrooms. “We’ll be back soon!”

“Understood!”

Exchanging a smile, the two girls then started climbing back the mountain, using the main trail. Thanks to their continued training, the students of the E-Class were no longer struggling when it came to going to class or returning home, thankfully enough. As they were making their way back to the café, though, a group of five love-struck teenagers appeared in the distance, running like wild beasts in heat. Ame and Kurahashi stepped aside in order to let them pass, but the group stopped abruptly before them, their apparent leader facing Ame.

_Wait, that guy’s familiar…_

“Oi, you! You’re the girl from Kyoto!” he exclaimed accusingly.

_Kyoto? What does he—oh. OH!_

“And _you_ are the thugs I beat up for trying to violate my friends,” she scowled, glaring. “Look, if you came here to cause more trouble—“

_“PLEASE TEACH US, SEMPAI!”_

At once, all five boys dropped to the ground and bowed their heads. Ame could only gawk, genuinely taken aback by the unexpected turn of situation, and it took her a few seconds to muster the strength to speak.

“Erm, what?”

“You’re too strong!” exclaimed one of the guys, keeping his head down.

“You’re awesome, sempai!” added another one.

“Please teach us to fight like you!!!” pleaded the leader.

She stared at them for a moment, unsure of what to do. She exchanged a glance with Kurahashi, who simply shrugged, not having an answer either. Heaving out a sigh, Ame nudged the leader with her foot.

“Get up, it’s embarrassing,” she grunted. “And I won’t teach you—I have better things to do than teach some thugs how to beat up people weaker than them.” Their shoulders instantly slumped in disappointment, and she smirked. “Tell you what, though. If you get us more customers, I might think about it.”

They all instantly jumped to their feet and, offering her a military salute, they then took off, running down the mountain once again. Ame and Kurahashi watched them leave for a few seconds before Ame snorted.

“Talk about weird. Hopefully, we won’t get more customers like those.”

“Maa, maa. I’m sure it won’t be too bad,” chuckled Kurahashi.

* * *

 _Spoken too soon,_ thought the two girls once they reached the top.

There were already many more customers than they expected, and they were _all_ close acquaintances or familiar faces. On one side, there were the kids from that poor school the E-Class had rebuilt, along with the kids from the orphanage and Ame’s grandmother. On the _other_ side, there were all fifteen members of the Zodiac (they were all wearing their masks, and were passing off as a group of _cosplayers,_ of all things), along with Lovro, the three assassins they had fought in the Citadel, and—

 _Wait, aren’t those guys assassins who came after_ my _head!?_

This was edging too close to insanity to be real. Giving her bag to Kurahashi so she’d deliver everything to the kitchens, she instantly marched over to the tables in the back, which were now occupied by none other than her former foes.

“What the _fuck_ are you guys doing here?” she asked flatly, though there was a touch of hysteria in her tone.

“Well, we heard the food was delicious,” shrugged James, slurping down his acorn noodles.

“And since we’re short on money, we weren’t about to deny a cheap meal,” added Nighteye, glaring a bit at her.

“You finally got your name off the Dark List, uh?” mused the one-eyed woman who had attacked her at the summer festival a few weeks back. “Congratulations.”

“You guys tried to _kill_ me.” The three assassins exchanged glances, and shrugged. Ame groaned, feeling a headache growing. “Ugh, whatever. Just don’t cause any trouble.”

The two men who had almost succeeded in killing her, back when a price had just been placed on her head, and the woman had threatened an entire crowd of civilians in order to force Ame to stay still as she tried to assassinate her—what a lovely trio, really. And yet, now that everything had been said and done, they were no longer enemies and, to be frank, she didn’t hold a grudge anyway—she was well-placed to know that a job was a job, after all, and she wasn’t in any position to judge.

_Though, no way am I getting friendly with these guys._

Deciding to leave them be, she found her way toward another interesting trio: Gastro, Grip, and Smog. Frankly, she hadn’t expected to run into them so soon after parting ways, but it would seem that their class had a knack for attracting dangerous attention.

“Are you guys here to enjoy the food, or are you here to cause trouble?” she asked, straight to the point.

“We came for you, actually,” replied Smog, clearly enjoying the dish before him.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t have a bounty anymore.”

Gastro pointed his sauce-covered gun at her. “Nan, not for that. Heard all about the Zodiac’s golden girl, and thought it’d be a good idea to secure an early partnership.”

“… what?”

Grip handed her a small folded paper. “Our private numbers, hm. As future Leader, contacts and connections are important. Keep these close.”

“But how- how do you even _know_ about that?” she protested, about to tear her hair out.

“Word is spreading fast in the Underworld,” shrugged Smog. “With the Zodiac’s direct interference in the affairs of _Coup de Grâce,_ followed by the disbandment of the terrorist group, the anonymity you guys worked under was completely blown.”

“If you speak to the right people, you can find out a lot of things, girlie,” added Gastro, returning to his food. “It won’t take long before the entire Underworld discovers the identity of the future Leader of the Zodiac—we just acted faster.”

“Currying favor before the race even starts, uh?” she sweatdropped, tucking the paper away. “But thanks, I guess. Don’t die.”

“Same to you, hm.”

Leaving this overly bizarre encounter behind, Ame made her way toward the Zodiac’s table instead. She had expected Hana and Usagi to show up, maybe Isana and Uma if they were around, but certainly not the entire group.

“Do I even want to know?” she simply asked, coming to stand beside Saru.

“Well, we’ve concluded the collective business at last, so everyone is going back to their individual schedule,” explained Isana, smiling a bit. “We just thought that one last dinner all together couldn’t hurt.”

“And we wanted to see you wearing a cute apron too— _ack!”_

Uma’s face was shoved into his bowl of noodles by Karasu, who scowled. “Creep.”

 _“Kara-chan!”_ whined the man, spluttering a bit.

“It’s as Isana said,” nodded Ryu, smiling a bit. “I’ll be leaving early in the morning with Samon and Feitan, so we wanted to say goodbye before disappearing.”

“Tche, speak for yourself,” grunted Ondori, averting his eyes. “It’s not as if I’ll miss the brat.”

Usagi coughed loudly. “Says the guy who freaked out the most upon learning she had been kidnapped.”

“I did _not—!”_

“Children, enough, you’re causing a scene,” sighed Hana, shaking her head.

“Ame, you should charge more for the side dishes,” pointed out Devit, clicking his tongue as he checked the menu. “The food’s good—own it and make people pay more.”

“Can you think about anything other than money?” sweatdropped Buta.

“Says the guy who just can’t shut up about his wife,” retorted snappily Devit.

“You’re just jealous ‘cause you don’t have anyone, little brat!”

“It’s a wonder that woman never left you, you’re even uglier now that you’re going bald!”

“Take that back you little—“

“Buta, Ratto, shut up,” ordered flatly Same, his usually blank expression appearing a tad annoyed. “Your pointless argument is making the flavor go sour.”

“Now, now, let’s not add oil to the fire,” suggested Buru, chuckling nervously.

“I _wasn’t_ worried!!!”

“—and my wife is the greatest—“

“You’re lying, you damn—“

“—but I like my money!”

“ _Kara-chan!!!”_

“Stop it, you dumb horse!”

The entire table was now causing quite a ruckus, arguments growing louder left and right as the more composed members of the group attempted to calm them down, in vain. As for Saru, well, he just started laughing, greatly entertained by his rowdy crew.

“Ah, we’re the greatest,” he sighed happily, then glance at their doctor. “Admit it, you love us.”

“You’re all annoying and I hate you,” replied bluntly Yagi.

It was now Saru and Yagi’s time to start their own argument.

“Does this… happen often…?” asked hesitantly a purple-haired man, who wasn’t used to being around such friendly people.

“You get used to it,” shrugged Red Eye, offering him a glass. “More juice?”

“Oh, Keigo!” beamed Ame, coming to stand beside the two. “It’s good to see you joining us. How’s the new ring?”

“Painful,” he admitted simply, making her chuckle. He then offered her a small smile. “But I think… I think I can get used to this—all of this.”

“Good for you,” replied Ame, honest. She patted his shoulder. “Anyway, I gotta go. Welcome to the Zodiac, Inu!”

The former member of _Coup de Grâce,_ formerly known as Azrael, had been granted the empty seat of the Dog and, though there was now some serious paranoia hanging to the name, Ame wasn’t all too worried.

_After all, third time’s the charm, right?_

But as quickly as her mood had risen, it plummeted completely when another bunch of overly familiar faces showed itself. She quickly joined the rest of the students that had gathered near the entrance, unsure of what to do or say.

“You can’t be serious,” sweatdropped Sugino.

“Should we make them leave?” wondered Takaoka, worried.

“Would we even be able to?” replied Kayano, biting her lower lip.

“I’m sure I can figure something out,” smirked Karma.

“Calm down, guys,” called out Ame, shaking her head. “I’ve got this.”

“Be careful!” warned Kanzaki, frowning.

Nodding, Ame then walked up to the group of colorfully-haired people. As soon as they noticed her, they stopped looking around like lost puppies and straightened up.

“Let me guess: you came for the cheap food?” she sighed, too overwhelmed to properly deal with the insanity of the situation.

“Got it in one,” smirked Michael, hands shoved in his pockets. “Still have a table free?”

“Have enough money to pay for it? We don’t tolerate dine’n’dashes here,” she replied flatly.

“We emptied Tanaka Sho’s account in order to facilitate our exile,” stated simply Ariel.

“Fair enough. Follow me.”

On which Ame found herself guiding the ex-members of _Coup de Grâce_ toward a free table, conveniently just next to the Zodiac’s. However, both groups completely ignored each other—right now, they were here to enjoy a nice afternoon with some cheap and delicious food, and yesterday’s war was already a dead and buried matter for everyone.

“Nice place you got here,” mused Jophiel, glancing around. “Both the café and the school—perfect place to train assassins, uh?”

“Please don’t mention our extracurricular activities right out in the open with so many civilians nearby,” groaned Ame, handing them a bunch of menus.

“You say that, but the amount of assassins in this café has long since surpassed that of civilians,” snorted Gabrielle, shaking her head. “About ninety percent of your current clientele is from the Underworld.”

“One more reason to try and not attract attention, then,” deadpanned Ame, crossing her arms over her chest. “Even in the Underworld, terrorists aren’t all that well-liked.”

“ _Coup de Grâce_ is no more. Right now, we’re merely unemployed citizens,” stated plainly Raphael, though he was glancing around in a rather nervous manner.

 _“Right._ Well, do whatever you want—so long as you don’t get involved in our business again,” she warned.

“Maa, maa, why not be friends?” grinned Chamuel. “We can—“

“My katana is in the classroom and I will _not_ hesitate to use it again.”

Chamuel made the wise decision to shut up and, unable to stand any more of this madness, Ame returned to her friends’ side at once. After assuring them that they didn’t have anything to worry and that their former foes were, in fact, merely here to enjoy the food, the other students settled down and returned to their business.

_And to think this is only the first day… Though, if we want things to work out, we’ll need some actual publicity in order to attract the general public’s eye…_

“Hey, guys!” she called out, quickly returning to Grip, Gastro, and Smog’s table. “Would you guys happen to have any connections with the media?”

* * *

The next day, thanks to the connection to a national news program that Grip had given her, along with some media manipulation on the side that Usagi and Ritsu performed, an actual television crew showed up to the Acorn Café, and publicity about the E-Class’s special event spread like wildfire. A crazy crowd quickly found its way up the mountain and, before they knew it, the students of the E-Class were running left and right in order to answer to the growing demand. They foraged, cooked, served, and sold an incredible amount of goods, and they were kept quite busy during the second day of the School Festival.

Unfortunately, good things weren’t meant to last.

“Oh no! We’re about to run out of acorn noodles!” exclaimed worriedly Okuda.

“We sold more than we thought we would, uh?” mused Isogai.

“But the A-Class will have made more money,” frowned Fuwa, looking over the data Itona had gathered for them.

“The _Tastes of the Mountain_ side menu is selling well, too,” happily pointed out Hara. “Let’s stick it out with those in the time we have left!”

“If- if we go a little further into the mountain, we can build up our reserves a bit,” suggested Kimura, covered in mud and dirt from head to toe.

“Hmm… No, let’s end it here,” ordered Korosensei, earning everyone’s attention.

“But then we won’t win,” protested Nagisa.

“That’s all right. Any more foraging and we’ll destroy the mountain’s ecosystem,” explained Korosensei, crossing his tentacles. “The actions of all creatures contribute to our deeper interconnection. Did you sense all of the connections fate has blessed you with?” Korosensei stood up, his smile widening slightly. “Those who’ve taught you, those you’ve helped, those you’ve caused trouble for, those who’ve caused trouble for you. Those you’ve fought as rivals, only to better one other—those are the connections I’m talking about!”

“Maa, today turned out to be another lesson after all,” chuckled Fuwa, panting a little. She, too, was quite dirty because of her continuous runs into the forest. “That’s Korosensei for you.”

“Damn it. I really wanted to win, too,” remarked Muramatsu, though he was smiling.

“Well, considering that we’ve managed to get this far without using any cheats like those sponsors Asano Junior enrolled, or his dirty tricks to make people pay more money for his event, I daresay that we’re the actual winners of this little contest,” shrugged Ame, pulling some twigs out of her hair. “Even if he’s got a good flair for business, _we_ didn’t have to trick people into buying more of our stuff—they did it because they liked it.”

“Yosh! Good job, everyone!” cheered Rio.

The other students could only cheer along, proud of their hard work and of the success of their last School Festival in Kunugigaoka.

* * *

.

.

A few days later, the results of the School Festival came in: while the A-Class had claimed the first place, the E-Class has somehow managed to lad themselves the third spot, despite stopping their event in the middle of the second day. As for how the competition would have turned out had the E-Class not closed shop early, one can only speculate, but Ame was fairly convinced that they would have won, and her classmates were of the same mind.

However, the fight was for from over: the end-of-term was now upon them.

“All right, now for an overview of the past year,” announced Korosensei, standing at the front of the class. “Next up is the classwork battle. Are you prepared to take the top spot, Karma-kun?”

“Gee, I dunno. Idiots like me don’t understand that stuff,” replied the red-haired boy, smirking.

“For your first-term midterms, I gave everyone the goal of making the top fifty, and I apologize for that,” continued the octopus. “I was too impatient for results, and I didn’t count on your opponents being so strong. But, things are different now. You’ve matured in brain and spirit. You should be able to meet your goals in the face of any plot or setback. With heads held high, you will all come in the top fifty, you will receive your tickets back to the main campus, and you will graduate as the E-Class.”

“If only it were that easy,” sighed Sugino, unconvinced.

“What do you mean, Sugino-kun?” asked Nagisa, confused.

“The A-Class has a new teacher—and you won’t believe who it is.”

“No, wait, let me guess: it’s the Principal,” deadpanned Ame, unimpressed. At Sugino’s sheepish smile, she sighed and leaned back in her seat. “It was only to be expected. With the E-Class showing results beyond the norm and pulling ahead of the _good crops_ , we’re jeopardizing his entire schooling system. These exams are going to be the hardest, as of yet.”

“So that’s what it’s come to,” mused Korosensei, apparently not all that surprised, either.

“Honestly, I want no part of his brainwashing education,” grunted Mimura, crossing his arms behind his head. “His weird charisma, controlling people with a word or a glance… His teaching skills put him on par with our Mach-20 Korosensei.”

“If _he’s_ their teacher… they’ve probably already lost the will to defy him,” pointed out Isogai with a frown.

Ame couldn’t help but shudder a bit at that, mostly in disgust. Now, she was used to teachers either hating her or not giving a damn about her, but Principal Asano was another thing entirely—he actively sought to crush her and her classmates. She knew he was a proud man dedicated to his techniques and values, but were those truly worth destroying the potential and the students under his wing.

_Another type of assassination entirely, uh? What a pain._

* * *

.

.

“You know, they’re kind of similar—the Principal and Korosensei, I mean,” remarked Fuwa.

“How so?” wondered Maehara.

Classes were over for the day but, strangely enough, not a single student from the higher classes could be seen on the campus. Ame quirked an eyebrow at the strangely empty hallways and courtyards, but decided not to comment on it. If the Principal had decided to take matters into his own hands, then she wouldn’t put it past him to keep the students after school hours in order to teach them even more material.

“They both have extraordinary powers, but are regular teachers. With the Principal’s quick wits, he could have been Prime Minister, or a business big shot—but instead, he’s devoted himself to education at just one academy. No wonder he’s so unrelenting,” explained the wannabe detective.

“You say that, but it’s not as if his intentions were _pure,_ of all things,” snorted Ame, running a hand through her hair. “The man’s obsessed and, while his teaching methods are nothing to scoff at, his teaching _spirit_ is worth shit. He may have started off as a teacher with good intentions, but now? He’s controlled by his own obsession for victory.”

“She’s right. He’s long since lost control, even if he hasn’t noticed it yet.”

At the new voice, all of the students stopped walking, surprised. Ahead of them, leaning against a pillar, was the only student outside of the E-Class: Asano Gakushu.

“Gakushu,” greeted simply Ame.

“Ame,” he replied in an even tone.

“Since when are you guys on a first-name basis?” whispered Rio, winking.

Ame hit her over the head, but never averted her gaze from the A-Class leader. “Something we can help you with, Gakushu?”

“… it pains me to say this, but I have a request,” he admitted. He wasn’t holding his head as high as he used to, so she guessed that he was speaking genuinely. “I’ll cut to the chase: that monster… I want you to kill him.”

“I take cash,” deadpanned Ame.

He half-glared. “Not physically, of course. I meant to kill his education policies.”

“His education policies?” echoed Yada, unsure. “But how?”

“Easy. I want you, the E-Class, to dominate the top spots in the next end-of-term exams,” explained the boy. “I’ll be in first, of course, but excellent grades mean nothing coming from an excellent student. For detritus like you to show up the A-Class, though… _that’s_ how we can ruin his stance on education.”

“Asano-kun, I’ve heard about the chilly relationship between you two. Are you saying you want us to defy your father’s methods and turn away from him?” inquired Takaoka, uncertain.

“Don’t misunderstand. _Be strong enough to kick even your father down…_ or so I’ve been taught. And now, it’s time to put it into practice,” replied Asano, his voice rising a bit. “I don’t know about anyone else, but that’s our relationship. However, that’s not the case for the other, lesser students. Right now, A-Class is Hell personified. With their hatred for the E-Class as their only support, he’s making them study beyond their limits! If they win like that… it’ll be the only method they’ll trust from now on.” His fists clenched. “You can only gain so much strength in hating, scorning, misleading your foes. Even opponents like you will still give them trouble. They’ll still be my flunkies in high school, but if my flunkies’ strength is lopsided, I can’t rule the ruler. Sometimes, defeat can open some eyes.” Then, much to everyone’s surprise, he bowed his head. “So please: show my friends and my father a proper defeat.”

There was a moment of intense silence, during which Asano kept on bowing, and during which the students of the E-Class could only stare, dumbstruck, and unsure of what to answer. While their opponent hadn’t bothered to hide his arrogant nature, he had admitted to truly, genuinely care about people other than himself.

However…

“Eeh? Is this any time to be worried about someone else?” retorted Karma, grinning from ear to ear in a provocative manner. “You’re not taking first place— _I_ am. I told you: next time, the E-Class won’t go easy on you. I’ll be number one, with the rest of the E-Class right under me. I’d say tenth place would look good on you, Asano-kun.”

“Aah, Karma said it! He’s taking first place!” chuckled Muramatsu.

“Just don’t let it turn out like it did last time,” warned Takebayashi, pushing up his glasses.

Terasaka grabbed the red-haired boy’s shoulders, grinning tauntingly. “At least try to do better than me, uh?”

Flushing in embarrassment, Karma proceeded to beat up Terasaka. While the two boys started roughhousing a bit, Isogai walked up to a speechless Asano with a smile.

“We’ve been trying our best to win all along, and we’ll do it this time, too,” he assured, determination evident in his tone. “That’s how it’s always been for us _and_ the A-Class. We’re happy if we win, frustrated if we lose. No need for ranks beyond that. Isn’t that enough? We’ll do our best so you can all be glad you had the chance to take us on.”

“Don’t think too much—just come at us like you want to kill us,” called out Karma, now holding Terasaka in a chokehold. “That’s what makes it fun.”

After a second, Asano returned a matching grin. “How amusing. Then I’ll fight with my gloves off, too.”

Since the conversation appeared to be over, the E-Class students were soon on their way. However, Ame lingered behind for a bit, intending to offer some advice even if he hadn’t asked for it. Easily guessing that she, too, had something to say, Asano also stayed behind. Once the E-Class was gone, she walked up to him.

“Ame, what—“

She slapped him.

Hard.

His head snapped to the side, pain burning in his left cheek, and his eyes wide with shock, surprise, and confusion. Ame’s hand was stinging, but she ignored it and scowled at him.

“You’re an absolute _coward,_ Gakushu,” she spat, genuinely angry. “You walk up to us and demand that we clean up this mess on behalf of your friends? Demand that we oppose your father because _you_ can’t do it? Fight your own damn battles, you dimwit! Because if you don’t, then what kind of victory is it!?” Her fists clenched a bit, and she exhaled in frustration. “Don’t try to use the E-Class as a tool to bring your father down. We fight because we have a greater goal than some petty familial conflict. Don’t look down on us when you’re even more pathetic than those you just called detritus!” She leaned forward, grabbing his collar and shaking him a little. “They’re your friends? Then help them yourself. You wanna oppose your father? _Then do it yourself._ Stop expecting other people to clean up after your own mess, your arrogant twat!” At once, her anger deflated, and she released him with a sigh. “Even if they’re a little messed up, you have the right priorities but, just like your father, you have the wrong methods. Learn from your mistakes and your failures, yes, but don’t be afraid to learn from others, too— _that’s_ how we do it in the E-Class.” Having said what needed to be said, she started walking away, offering a lazy wave as she walked past him. “Good luck with the exams—you’ll need it.”

Asano could only stare after her as she disappeared beyond the gates of the school, rubbing his painful cheek as he thought back to what she had just told him. After a few seconds, a sharp laugh escaped him.

_Akabane Karma, Isogai Yuuma, Naoki Ame…_

They might not know it, but the E-Class really had some terrifying members too.

* * *

.

.

An entire week passed following the incident, during which the E-Class was plunged into a studying frenzy. Ame, in particular, became extremely dedicated to her studies. Having missed numerous lessons because of the last few incidents, she was working hard in order to catch up with everyone and ensure that she scored in the top fifty along with them.

“Good luck, Ame-chan, Itona-kun! Do your best!” encouraged her grandmother.

“Good luck, Ame-nee! Ito-nii!” cheered Jackie, bouncing in place.

“Here, Obaa-san and I made you lunch!” beamed Ash, handing over the two handmade bento.

“You two studied hard,” stated plainly Rin, smiling a bit. “You’ll be fine.”

Kiba snorted, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Ito-nii, for sure. But Ame-nee? I dunno.”

She instantly started pulling his cheeks. “Why you little brat…!”

“You- you should probably go if you don’t want to be late,” urged Amaya, gesturing to the clock on the wall. “Your exams start soon, right?”

“Ah, shoot! Come on, Itona, let’s go!”

Nodding mutely, the boy lightly ruffled Jackie’s hair before heading out after Ame, the door snapping shut behind them.

* * *

They joined their fellow E-Class students before entering the main building but, as soon as they started roaming the hallways, a sickening feeling crept up on all of them. Ame could only refrain a shudder as she noticed the empty, yet hungry looks that followed them.

“Hell of a look in their eyes,” grunted Yoshida, visibly uncomfortable.

“I feel like I just ended up in a zombie movie,” nodded Ame, scrunching up her nose.

“The A-Class is probably psyching themselves up,” mused Rio, unperturbed. “Are you sure you can beat them, Karma-kun?”

“Who knows. If any of them really do plan to kill me, that _might_ slow me down,” mused the redhead.

They all settled down in the designated classroom and, a few minutes later, they were handed their first test. As soon as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the exam, the distinct noise of flipping sheets echoed in the classroom… and tension instantly hit the roof. Ame’s eyes widened slightly at the questions displayed on the paper, her heart picking up the pace.

_This exam… They’re really going in for the kill!_

Thankfully enough, English was still her best subject and, no matter how the teacher had tried to complicate the questions using unfamiliar grammar rules and old English jargon, she wasn’t about to be shaken off the top place of the podium so easily. However, the same couldn’t be said for her classmates: as hard as they tried, the questions were too hard, and there were too many of them. As soon as the bell rang, signaling the end of the first exam, the students of the E-Class slumped in their seats, already exhausted.

 _This isn’t going to be easy, is it?_ Mused internally Ame, sparing a glance for the pale faces of her friends. _Asano Gakuho… He’s really a monster in his own rights, uh? However, he’s forgotten that we, too, have a monster of a teacher. Now that we know what we’re facing, we won’t be going down so easily!_

* * *

Social Studies, Science, Japanese, Mathematics; such were the following exams, and each was harder than the last. However, much like the rest of the E-Class, Ame quickly picked up the trick: pace yourself and, most importantly, don’t hesitate. They didn’t have the time to review, but they could still earn partial merit thanks to the approach, even if the ultimate answer was wrong. For Ame, Social Studies and Japanese went fairly well, so she had some breathing room for the other two. She didn’t do half-bad in Science, thanks to some special lessons she had received from Hana and Buta, but Mathematics was still the worst.

_And yet, thanks to Korosensei’s tricks and Karma’s advice, I’m still going strong!_

She wasn’t going as fast, and she knew for a fact that over half of her answers were wrong, but she wasn’t worried: she had the right technique and the right approach, so she would still get the necessary points. However, once she reached the final question of the exam, she found herself completely stuck.

_ As in the figure to the right, the crystalline structure known as a body-centered cubic unit consists of multiple cubes  _ A _having sides arranged periodically, with an atom at each vertex and at each cube’s center. Most alkaline metals, including Na and K, are body-centered cubic units. Focusing on atom A[0] in a body-centered cubic unit, of all the points within the space, the domain D[0] consists of the set of points closer to A[0] than to any other atom. Find the volume of D[0]._

…

…

…

_Yeah, no, fuck it._

Ame snorted lightly, quickly writing down the most basic calculations. At that point, she was just too tired to fight, and she knew she had done her best—that was enough. So, she wrote down a random answer before finally putting down her pen, thus concluding the last exam of the end-of-term.

* * *

“Ne, Ame,” called out Karma, walking up to her as they left the classroom. “What answer did you get in the final problem?”

“Ugh, my head was aching so bad at that point, I just gave up,” she admitted, rubbing her temples tiredly. “I just wrote down a random formula that looked like it could work and said that the domain could take up to half of the cube. Pretty dumb, I know, but I just don’t care at that point.”

“Ooh?” Karma’s grin widened as he slung an arm around her shoulders, his eyes glinting with unrestrained amusement. “So you don’t care that you got the correct answer?”

She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes going wide. “That I _what_ now!?”

* * *

_A few days later_

_._

.

“Well then, class, I’ll be returning your compiled exam papers,” announced Korosensei, chuckling to himself. “Did your second blades manage to reach their targets? Also, no grumbling about a point here or there, now.” He vanished, using his Mach-20 speed to distribute the papers at once. “Were your scores this time good enough to get you into the top fifty overall?” He reappeared at the front as suddenly as he had disappeared. “The main campus will be posting the overall ranks right about now, so let’s start with ranks here in the E-Class, too.”

Ame hadn’t even spared a look for the pile of papers in her hands, practically jumping to her feet along with everyone else as Korosensei spread out the Top Fifty Ranks at the front. Time seemed to come to a halt as everyone held their breath, looking for their names—

 _I’m not there,_ realized Ame, paling a bit. _But how? How could I not make it—!?_

“Erm, Ame?” Rio patted her shoulder, gulping. “I- I think you’re not looking at the right place.”

“Uh?”

Ame had been looking over the left half of the paper, scanning over the higher half of the Top Fifty Ranks. A tad incredulous, she switched to the right side displaying the lower half (meaning the highest scores), starting at the bottom, and going up… and up… and up…

“Holy shit,” she breathed out, her eyes going wide. “I’m… in third place…?”

Karma had claimed the first place, with Asano Junior following closely behind, with a three-point difference. And then, right there, in third place, was her name—Naoki Ame, with a score of 489 on 500.

“I did it,” she gasped, relief and joy flooding her chest. “We- we _all_ did it! Holy crap!”

Rio was right behind her, along with Isogai, Takebayashi, Kataoka, and Kanzaki—thus effectively knocking down the Big Five from the podium. After what, the rest of their classmates followed in various ranks, but still under fifty. Even Terasaka, who had become the dead last of their class after Ame started putting in some work and efforts, had landed in 46th place.

“Man, it sure was a slog getting to this point, though, uh?” sighed Maehara, relieved.

“Our most fervent wish—after a successful assassination, anyway!” beamed Yada.

“We really did beat the A-Class!” cheered Okano, wiping a tear away.

“We can go to our first-pick schools,” remarked Mimura, smiling down at his grades.

“And girls will be throwing themselves at us!” exclaimed happily Okajima.

“Ah, feels like a final episode to me,” chuckled Fuwa, shaking her head.

As the rest of the students laughed and kept on savoring their victory, Ame looked down at the papers in her hands. She felt honestly overwhelmed right at that moment, and winning had never tasted as sweet. She had worked hard, and it shown—and she couldn’t be any prouder. She could now go home with her head held high and, even if school was now officially over for the day, she wanted to keep on sharing this special moment with her friends.

“Hey, everyone!” she called out, grinning from ear to ear. “How about we all go out for some celebratory dango? Korosensei’s treat!”

“Yeah!”

“Let’s go!”

“Great idea!”

“Yes, yes, superb idea!” beamed Korosensei. “Let’s go— _wait!_ My treat!?”

Ame’s grin simply widened. “You said it!”

As their octopus teacher slumped in despair at the thought of the hole that was about to be burnt into his wallet, as half of her classmates lunged at him with their knives while the other half started laughing, as she watched her friends’ smiles grow bigger and brighter… Ame could only feel happier, if possible.

She never thought she’d say this one day, but it really was great to be in the E-Class.

* * *

The news were received with joy, pride, and mild disbelief on Kiba’s part, but the numbers wouldn’t lie: not only had both Ame and Itona scored in the top fifty, but his big sister had somehow managed to claim the third rank despite being an absolute failure in school. Of course, such good news called for a celebration, and they all went out together for dinner. Then, later that night, Ame went over to the Zodiac’s headquarters where news of her success had already gotten out, and many of the members still around were already halfway through the celebratory party that had started without her, for some reason.

It was a joyous day and a joyous night—truly, after everything she had gone through in the last few months, Ame deemed she deserved it. So, it was with a bounce in her step and a mild headache due to the late hour at which she had gone to sleep that she returned to school the next day. After all, now that exams were over with, the E-Class would have many more opportunities to focus on the assassination.

“All right, students—you’ve formally received your qualifications to move out of the E-Class. So, is anyone looking to leave this mountain?”

“Of course not!” grinned Maehara, rubber knife in hand.

“We found our second blades—this is when it gets serious!” added Mimura.

“What other environment is this suited to an assassination?” mused Kataoka.

At once, everyone started firing. Ame had long since stopped wearing the special earplugs Korosensei had given her at the beginning of the year and, while she still refused to hold a gun, she no longer reacted upon hearing them. Be it because she had finally gotten over her trauma, or simply because she had grown used to it, she couldn’t tell—one way or another, though, she was glad she no longer had to deal with this wannabe PTSD.

“Niryufufufu! Gluttons for punishment, eh? Then, for your reward this time, I’ll tell you my weakness—“

‘CRASH!’

The entire building suddenly shook on its foundations as a crashing noise, a mix of creaking wood and breaking windows, echoed outside. Some debris even fell from the ceiling as the students let out started gasps and panicked shouts. Ame was up to her feet in a second, running over to the window.

_Another assassin? No, they’re not allowed to harm the students. Then who—_

“What- what the hell!?” she exclaimed, her eyes going wide.

The rest of the students were quick to pop their heads out of the windows, shock taking over as they witnessed none other than a perfect stranger now busying himself with _tearing down the E-Class building_ with a shredder.

“Prepare to vacate the premises.”

“Principal Asano!” gasped Kayano.

“The Board made the decision this morning: we’re tearing down this old campus building today,” announced the Principal with a placid smile. “I’ll have you move to the new campus of our affiliate school opening next school year. Until graduation, you will help us performance-test the building.”

“A new campus? No way!” protested Muramatsu, as taken aback as the rest of the students.

“With a surveillance system and an anti-escape system drawn from correctional facilities, they can study in an environment akin to a more civilized prison. The new E-Class: the culmination of my educational theories.”

“But- but moving us now…?” repeated Nagisa, troubled.

“No way! We wanna graduate from _this_ campus!” exclaimed angrily Sugino.

“Theories, uh…? As far as I’m concerned, though, those theories are no longer viable since we’ve proven them wrong times and times again this year,” retorted calmly Ame. Jumping through the window, she then walked up to the Principal, hands shoved in her pockets and her stare even. “You might be a good Principal, sir, but no one likes a sore loser. You know, as Korosensei taught us: teaching is learning. In that case, should you not seek to learn from your failure in order to establish a proper educational system for _all_ of your students?” Her eyes narrowed a bit. “Or have you truly given up because of what happened to Ikeda Rikuto?”

Time stopped, every single student holding their breath as the Principal and Ame entered an intense stare-down. The Principal’s eyes had widened ever-so-slightly, before he schooled his expression into a blank mask again, and he offered her a bland smile.

“How do you know that name, Naoki-san.”

It wasn’t a question, but an order—either she answered, either he used force to make her spill. However, even in this class of assassins, Ame was a peculiar case—she had faced numerous people who were a lot scarier than her Principal and, ultimately, he held no real power over her. Of course, he could always have her expelled, but that certainly wouldn’t stop her from coming back to the E-Class to continue the assassination.

However, Ame knew better than to play her good cards right away.

“It’s common knowledge, if you know where to look,” she replied in a flat tone. “What happened to your student is unfortunate, but this incident led you to the wrong conclusion.”

“And what would that conclusion be?” His voice had grown even colder, if possible.

“If my assumption is correct, then you came to the conclusion that you had failed Ikeda-kun by focusing on making him _good_ rather than _strong—_ a vision that you’re today trying to apply using the E-Class system.” She raised her head a little higher at that, looking at him right in the eyes. “The thing is, it’s not a matter of being good or strong—it’s a matter of finding a balance between the two. Being only good will lead to weakness, and being only strong will lead to loneliness—I’d know, I was there.” She gestured to the students gathered at the windows behind her, her gaze never leaving the Principal’s. “Before the E-Class, I was entirely focused on becoming stronger. But today? Today, I’ve come to learn and grow, and I didn’t become stronger from it—I became _better._ Korosensei made me a better person than I could have ever hoped to become, and that’s the kind of teacher that every student needs.” Straightening her spine, she decided to land the final blow. “Your methods are wrong. Your focus is wrong. Your educational theories are _wrong._ And when you’re wrong, you either learn to make it right, or you get left behind—and it’s not by trying to erase your mistake by destroying our campus that you’ll make the failure disappear.”

More silence ensued, Ame having said her part. She never looked away from the Principal, stubborn and unafraid, and he kept his blank mask all along. If her words stirred anything in his heart, he didn’t show it, simply staring at her. After a few seconds of heavy tension, he suddenly moved—reaching out to grab her shoulder. To anyone watching, it looked like a friendly gesture, but the mild excess of strength he put into his grip told Ame the contrary.

“Naoki-san…” He leaned down, smiling. “No one likes brats with big mouths. If you find yourself unable to learn your place, then I’ll gladly teach you this important lesson.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in teaching through violence.”

“Violence? Oh, don’t misunderstand—teachers who can only instill fear through violence are not worth their salt.” His grip tightened a bit more, but she didn’t flinch—she refused to give up a single inch. “I prefer a more indirect approach. Tell me, how can a girl who came dead last in the first term snag the third rank in the last one?” His bland smile grew a little sharper. “I have connections and position, both of which allow me to do what must be done in order to get rid of the more untrustworthy students. If we were to, let’s say, find evidence that you cheated… well, our school simply wouldn’t be able to accept that.”

“Blackmail, uh?” Ame appeared unbothered, and unsurprised. Then, she pulled out her phone and started looking for something. “It’s true that you could have me expelled in the blink of an eye if you wanted to—you’re the Principal, after all. Thing is, though, _I_ don’t need fake evidence to bring you down with me.” At once, she showed him a special video. “You ought to be more careful with the footage in your office, practically anyone can get their hands on it. You know, for someone who says that they don’t believe in instilling fear through violence, I feel like you’re a bit quick to throw a punch. Nice right hook, by the way. Karate, if I’m not mistaken?” The video of him beating up the exchange students kept going, and she offered a bland smile that matched his own. “Now, I suppose it’s only a matter of who people will believe: an innocent junior high student who worked hard, or the mysterious Principal who beat to a pulp a bunch of exchange students because they lost in a friendly competition? You know, I’m sure this video would go _viral_ on the net—and I’m ready to bet my _life_ that, between the two of us, you’ll fall first.” She then proceeded to show him a few more pictures, which she had taken herself upon discovering the bodies. “Gakushu is determined to _rule the ruler_ , so getting a witness account shouldn’t be too hard. And those students you beat up? Not only do I have their full medical files to my disposal, but I already have signed confessions about the incident. The only reason they agreed not to press charges was because they didn’t want your son to get in trouble.” Her bland smile turned into a feral smirk. “Checkmate, Principal Asano. What’s your move now?”

After the exam, Ame had a feeling that the Principal wouldn’t take well to yet another failure, so she had decided to prepare for the worst. Looking up his personal history wasn’t all that complicated—finding a few articles about the suicide of his student, then others about the man’s rising in different fields until he decided to become Principal, had been a piece of cake. Then, slipping into his office to retrieve the footage she wanted with Usagi’s help had been even easier and, thanks to Karasu, she managed to get her hands on the medical records of the injured students. Then, just yesterday, she went to meet with the foreign students and, after a lengthy conversation in English, she managed to convince them to sign official confessions—she had promised she would only be using them in order to stop the Principal from making another rash decision, which was the only reason why they agreed to help.

All in all, Ame had spent the last few days preparing for such a confrontation and, while she hadn’t expected the proud man to drop by and literally take down the E-Class, she was ready.

“So?” she urged, quirking an eyebrow. “What’s going to happen now?”

“Naoki-san, that’s quite enough.” Korosensei suddenly appeared beside her, gingerly removing the Principal’s hand from her shoulder. He then looked up at the Principal. “You’ll carry out your educational vision to the very end, won’t you.”

“Indeed. But make no mistake: _you_ are no longer useful to my education. And this…” The Principal suddenly pulled out a paper. “This is where I kill you.”

“Ko- Korosensei’s walking papers!?” gaped Isogai, horrified.

“He actually went there: he played his forbidden ace in the hole!” protested Maehara.

“That- that’s wrongful dismissal!!!” exclaimed Korosensei, now shaking from head to toe.

“It works hilariously well on this octopus,” sweatdropped Sugino, shaking his head.

“Can a super-creature even stage a protest?” wondered quietly Nagisa.

“And so you won’t jump to any conclusions, this is nothing but a tool to control my target. I have come, Korosensei, to kill you once and for all. You are no longer necessary for my education, you see,” continued the Principal, unperturbed by the protests.

“Is he serious?” wondered Isogai, gritting his teeth.

“I know you’re superhuman and all, but our octopus won’t go down quite as easily as you think,” warned smugly Karma.

Not even acknowledging the students, Asano Sr. turned to the destruction crew. “Hold off the demolition for now. I have some work to do inside.”

On which he made his way inside, though not without sparing a glance for Ame. However, despite her attempt at stopping him being foiled, the girl didn’t appear to be bothered in the slightest—as if he was the one dancing to her tune, and not the other way around. For the first time in his life, Asano Gakuho felt disturbed by the eyes trailing after him as he entered the E-Class building. Though, he certainly wasn’t about to give up his plan so easily, no matter how unnerving the stare of Naoki Ame was.

* * *

“Now, then, Korosensei… If you don’t want to be fired, if you want to protect this classroom, I’ll have you join me in a little gamble,” announced Principal Asano.

All of the students had been ushered outside, and were now watching from the windows. In the classroom stood Korosensei, with five desks placed before him, while Irina and Karasuma stood on the sidelines. Ame was sitting on the windowsill, curious as to how things would turn out, but certainly not worried.

As said before, she had come prepared.

“I’ve prepared five subjects’ worth of test questions and five hand grenades. Four of them are anti-Sensei grenades; one works on humans. They’re the real deal,” explained the Principal, picking up one of the grenades. “They are identical in appearance and in smell, and made such that, once their pins are pulled, they’ll explode the moment their handles begin to rise.” Without warning, he pulled out the pin, then placed it in one of the test books. “I’ve pulled their pins and placed them carefully between random pages in the test books, handles in place. You will open the book and solve the problem at the top right.”

“Wait!” protested Hara. “As soon as he opens it, the handle will pop up and—“

“Yes—he’ll almost certainly be hit with an explosion,” confirmed Asano Sr., smiling pleasantly. “But he can’t move an inch until he solves that problem. You’ll handle the first four books, while I’ll take the last one.” He faced Korosensei again, his resolve unshakable. “If you manage to kill me or force me to withdraw, I will permit you and the E-Class to remain here. Let’s see… Ah, Terasaka-kun!” The boy stiffened upon being called out. “Use a formula to find Korosensei’s odds of winning.”

“Hmm… An anti-Sensei grenade explosion won’t kill _you…_ To do that, we’d need to save the real grenade till the end. 4/5 times, ¾ times, 2/3 times, ½ equals 1/5—in other words, twenty percent,” announced Terasaka, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. “But the octopus has to take four deadly grenades in a row and you can just safely tap out as soon as it gets ugly.” He pointed an accusing finger at the Principal. “This is ridiculously unfair!”

“Terasaka-kun, you’ll find that the world is just one injustice after another,” replied evenly Asano Sr. “Especially between the weak and the strong. That’s why I’ve taught you to be the strong ones.”

Ame snorted at that. “ _You_ didn’t teach us shit—you’re the adversity we’ve managed to overcome.”

Rio slapped her over the head. “Stop trying to cause trouble already!”

But the Principal simply ignored them. “So, will you give it a try, Korosensei? It’s also a test of how serious you are about your chosen profession. If I were you, I’d jump right in.”

“Of- of course. Let’s do it,” agreed Korosensei, unable to refuse.

“Good.” Satisfied, the Principal walked over to where the other two teachers were standing, crossing his arms over his chest. “Open and solve, then close—do it all at once and it won’t explode. With your speed, it might even be easy.”

“Y- yes, of c- course!”

Ame heaved out a small sigh. The trap that the Principal had laid out for their teacher was extremely well thought out, in more ways than one. After all, it _would_ have been easy for an inhuman creature with Mach-20 speed… had that creature not been sensitive to pressure. As they had all come to learn, as soon as Korosensei became flustered, his reaction time dropped to in record time, and it was easy to surprise him and land a hit.

Under the current pressure, he was completely cornered.

_Sneaky Principal… but such a cheap trick won’t be enough to get the best of him._

At once, Korosensei opened the first test book and, a moment later, the hand grenade inside exploded, sending anti-Sensei ammo all over the classroom.

“First one is a hit,” announced Asano Sr., almost cheerfully. “Make it through three more and you win. Now, solve the next, before you recover.”

“You’re kidding me! He can’t take three more of those!” protested loudly Yoshida.

“Is he really gonna get taken down by such a simple setup?” added Muramatsu, nervous.

“The weak can only kill the strong through assassination, but the strong can kill the weak whenever and however they like,” stated simply the Principal. “I will pepper the nation with mechanisms to teach this truth. With my money from the Ministry of Defense and the bounty for killing you, I can build my affiliate schools all over the country. Now, Korosensei—be the cornerstone of my philosophy.”

Tension rose, the silence became suffocating, everyone watched with growing anticipation as Korosensei slowly reached out to the second notebook… and, before everyone knew it, he had solved the second problem.

“Okay: opened, solved, and closed!” he announced, before gesturing to the test books. “I more or less remember which questions are on which page in this particular series of test books. Math was the only challenge—I’d lent that one out to a student for so long that I’d forgotten.”

“Oh!” gasped Yada, realizing that she was the one he was talking about.

“You just _happened_ to have memorized the books I just _happened_ to bring?” inquired Asano Sr., for once appearing dumbstruck.

“Heavens, no! I’ve memorized all of Japan’s test books,” corrected Korosensei, chuckling a bit. “ _No moving out of the blast radius until you’ve solved the problem,_ is what you said. A rule like that is no trouble for a passionate educator. Here I thought you understood me, but it seems your students’ defeat has unnerved you.” At once, Korosensei solved the next two problems without breaking a sweat. “You’ve dug your own grave with this simplistic assassination. Now, the last book—it’s your turn.” Korosensei’s eternal grin widened ever-so-slightly, though the sight was somewhat disturbing since two portions of his head were melted and missing. “What’s it feel like, having your own death before your eyes? That grand kaleidoscope glimpsed in the moments before death… What could be flashing through that perfect mind of yours?”

For Ame, who knew pretty much all there was to know about their Principal, it didn’t take a genius to guess what exactly was going through his head. Twelve years ago, one of his first students committed suicide because of bullying, and that’s when Asano Gakuho got into his head that he needed to produce “strong” students in order to have them survive. It didn’t come from a wrong basis or a bad intent, but his methods to achieve such a goal had led him to create stronger students, but also weaker ones. In other words, he had become exactly what he had sought to destroy all along—someone who encouraged people to stay weak.

“Well, Principal Asano? Will you open the final book?” urged Korosensei, his head slowly reforming. “No matter how superb you may be, opening a grenade-filled test book will not end well.”

“Oi, this was _your_ wager!” called out Yoshida. “If you don’t wanna die, just gracefully admit defeat!” The Principal glared his way. “Yikes!”

“And besides, we don’t care if you fire Korosensei!” added firmly Kataoka.

“It’ll be sad to leave this place behind, but we’ll go where Korosensei goes,” assured Kanzaki, smiling sweetly.

“Even if it means leaving home or holing up in some mountain, we’ll keep the assassination classroom going till March,” swore Isogai, standing his ground on behalf of the E-Class.

“Korosensei… Under my educational philosophy, you could very well destroy the Earth and it wouldn’t matter.”

At once, he opened the notebook. The real hand grenade that had been placed inside instantly exploded in his face, earning numerous worried exclamations and horrified shouts. However, as the dust settled down, all saw that the Principal was unarmed thanks to Korosensei’s skin, which he had shed just in time to save the man.

“Niryufufufu. Have you forgotten my molt?”

“… Your once-monthly trick, eh? Why didn’t you use it on yourself?” asked Asano Sr.

“I was saving it for you,” admitted the octopus, folding up his molt. “If I’d won, there’s no doubt you’d have opted to blow yourself up.”

The man slowly rose back to his feet. “How can you be so sure of what I’d do?”

“Because we have so much in common,” replied Korosensei, who had now fully recovered from the first explosion. “Both stubborn education fiends, aiming for perfection in teaching even if it means using your own life. I talked to your old cram-school students during the exams—about their impression of you as a teacher, about what happened… The educational ideals I pursue are identical to yours a dozen years back. Where I’ve been lucky, compared to you, is with the E-Class. Because there are a fair number of students and because they share the same circumstances, they came together to withstand training and can ask each other for advice without holding things in. And, Principal Asano, it’s none other than _you_ who made this E-Class. You’ve unconsciously been carrying on the ideal education you came up with long ago.” Korosensei then lifted a rubber knife. “I’m the only one this knife can kill. We do not teach the theft of human life. You and I share the same ideals: not a killing education, but one that lets live. Let’s keep on following through with our ideal education.”

At last, Asano Gakuho lowered his head, deep in thoughts. “My philosophy is always correct. I’ve turned out a great number of strong students these past dozen years.” Slowly, he reached out to take the rubber knife Korosensei was handing him. “But now you’ve acknowledged my system as well, so I will deign to permit this E-Class to remain.”

“Niryufufufu. Still can’t simply admit defeat, I see,” mused Korosensei.

“Also… May I come and kill you now and then?”

“Of course. That knife suits a worthy rival well.”

Understanding that this was the ending of their little confrontation, Ame heaved out a mildly disappointed sigh, stretching out her arms. She had been hoping for some more explosions, to spice up their day a little, but it would seem that everything had been handled at last.

_And to think I went through all this trouble, too…_

“Ame, why do you look so disappointed?” snorted Rio.

“My hard work went to waste,” grunted the girl, lifting up a heavy-looking bag.

“Work? What for?”

“Well, I had a feeling that the Principal would pull a stunt like that—the dismissal notice, I mean—so I basically dug up whatever I could find to force his hand in abandoning that idea,” explained the girl, sighing again.

“Are you serious!?”

Fuwa started looking through the numerous papers in the bag. “Old and New Laws, Protection of the Workers, Rules of Kunugigaoka, Syndicates Around the World, Unfair Dismissals, How To Protect Yourself From Sudden Dismissals, Laws of the Workers, School Board Influence and How To Legally Counter It…”

“Contracts, Employment Contract, Contracts In Schools, Teaching Contracts, Read Between the Lines, How To Find Loopholes In Legal Contracts, Personal—wait, why do you have the official contract Korosensei signed with Kunugigaoka upon his employment!?” exclaimed Maehara, looking through another stack of papers.

“It’s just a copy—the original is still in Korosensei’s safe.”

“Wait, is that the contract the Principal signed with the government regarding the employment of Korosensei?” blinked Kataoka, unsure of what she was now holding.

“Also a copy—the government keeps those in a special database,” shrugged Ame. “Anyway, with everything in there, Korosensei was assured to keep his job, whether the Principal liked it or not. It’s just too bad I didn’t get to use it.”

“Ame… You’re too much,” sweatdropped Rio, shaking her head. “You—“

“Naoki-san?”

The girl stiffened slightly, looking over to the Principal, who looked like he was about to leave. She easily guessed that he had just heard everything she had just said, and she wondered for a moment if he was going to scold her for it… but he simply smiled—an _actual,_ genuine smile—and waved her way.

“If I may, you might want to consider becoming a lawyer,” he suggested simply. “With your skills, I’m sure you’d easily make a name for yourself.”

“R- right. Thanks…?”

He nodded, and finally left. Rolling her eyes a bit, Ame then glanced back to her classmates, who were all passing each other the papers she had gathered and the notes she had taken. She hadn’t really realized it before but, now that the Principal had mentioned it…

_Without realizing, I did exactly as Isogai-kun said the other day…_

_Well, maybe this is worth looking into._

The commotion settled down, Ame gathered back her papers before Karasuma could get his hands on them, and the students finally returned inside to start cleaning up.

“By the way, sir… Where’s our reward for the exams?” suddenly asked Kurahashi.

“Oh, right! I promised to tell you my crucial weakness, didn’t I?” recalled the yellow octopus, chuckling. “In fact, I have surprisingly little power. I’m too specialized for speed. When I’m at a standstill, even a single human can hold back one of my tentacles.”

Hara gasped. “So, if we all locked down all of your tentacles…”

“We could actually stop you from moving?” understood Rio, eyes wide.

…

…

…

“If we could do _that,_ this would have been a cakewalk!!!”

“You only told us ‘cause you knew it was impossible, octopus!!!”

Ame simply started laughing as, once again, the E-Class was plunged into a commotion, with everyone trying to hold on to the tentacles, in vain. It had been a somewhat eventful day—hell, an eventful few weeks—but, all in all, it had truly been worth it.


	34. Thirty-Fourth Period: Secrets Out Time/RE

“So? How was yesterday’s drama festival?” asked Ame, smirking slightly.

“You’d know, had you bothered showing up,” huffed Rio, poking the girl’s cheek. “Don’t look so smug about slacking off!”

“Aa? Slacking off? I was _working,_ thank you very much.”

“Right. You mean breaking into a super-protected facility?” drawled Karma, leaning back into his seat.

“Or going to steal government secrets right under their nose?” mused Sugino.

“Or tracking down a dangerous fellow for the right price?” suggested darkly Hazama.

“Oh! Maybe you went undercover to infiltrate another enemy gang of which the mysterious and handsome foreign boss fell in love with you at first sight!” gasped dreamily Fuwa.

“Nan, the older members are hogging all of the fun missions as payback for having to save my sorry ass a few days ago,” sighed Ame, sulking a bit at the thought. “I just had to help dismantle whatever was left of the drug ring those outside gangs had started setting up a few months back.”

The rest of the students could only sweatdrop at that. No matter how weird their lives had gotten ever since the beginning of the year, they were still having a somewhat hard time wrapping their heads around Ame’s reality, which was seemingly so different from their own. Of course, now that the mysterious girl was finally fully opening up to them, what with no longer having any secret to hide, they weren’t about to complain.

The students chatted some more about the drama festival, to which they had been more or less forced to participate after Asano shoved the duty upon the E-Class. Of course, as much as Ame enjoyed showing off, actually acting on a stage wasn’t exactly her cup of tea—even less so when she already knew that the audience wasn’t exactly receptive. So, she had seized her chance and had asked Saru for the first mission available, therefore escaping from having to perform.

Rio was just about to try and pry out some more information from Ame, who was still somewhat tight-lipped about the exact nature of her missions—she wouldn’t be a professional spy if she spilled the beans so easily, would she?—when the entire building suddenly shook violently. At first fearing that the Principal had changed his mind and had come back to destroy the E-Class campus, Ame was the first to bolt out of the classroom.

_What the hell is going on!?_

“Ame-san! The shed!” exclaimed Isogai, who was already outside by the time she stepped out.

Smoke was coming from inside the shed but, from what she could gather, it wasn’t a fire. The two of them quickly rushed over there, only to find Nagisa kneeling in shock before a gigantic pitfall.

“Nagisa-kun!”

“I- Isogai-kun, Ame-san…”

The blue-haired boy was having a hard time trying to snap back to reality. Isogai quickly helped him back to his feet, while Ame crouched before the enormous pitfall, frowning. It was so deep she couldn’t see anything beyond a few meters, but she could still hear muffled voices and familiar whipping sounds—like tentacles clashing together.

 _But the only other person with tentacles was Itona,_ she recalled, frowning. _Could that Shiro bastard have sent another genetically modified assassin while we weren’t looking?_

“Ame-san, let’s head out!” urged Isogai, already dragging Nagisa outside. “It isn’t safe here!”

“Right!”

They didn’t get very far, what with the rest of the class running up to them in a panic. They met up in the middle of the field, worry clearly etched on every face, and Ame mentally made a countdown as she looked over the group.

 _There’s one person missing,_ she realized, a foreboding feeling sinking in her guts.

“Nagisa, where’s Kayano?” she asked immediately, pale.

_Did she fall into the pitfall along with Korosensei? Was she taken hostage by the assassin? Is she hurt? Is she—_

Without any warning, the shed’s roof flew into pieces as Korosensei suddenly burst through, seemingly safe and sound, if not a little shaken. He crashed into the ground, barely a few meters away from them.

“Korosensei! What was that?” gasped Isogai, still supporting Nagisa.

The rest of the shed’s roof was almost completely obliterated as someone else jumped through without a care in the world. The figure gracefully landed on the ledge, looking down on them with green tentacles hovering above her head. Ame’s eyes widened as she realized that no, Kayano had not been taken hostage by an assassin—she was the assassin.

_And all this time, I never even noticed…!?_

“Uh?”

“Kayano-san…?”

“What- what’s with those tentacles?”

“Aw, man. And I attacked with all I had, too,” the green-haired girl stated, though she didn’t appear all that frustrated for someone who just failed their assassination attempt. “I can’t believe I let him get away. I must have underestimated him.”

“Kayano-san, what in the world…?” asked weakly Korosensei, slowly getting up.

“Sorry. Kayano Kaede isn’t my real name,” replied simply the teen, darting a cold glare to the creature. “I’m Yukimura Aguri’s little sister. You understand now, don’t you? Murderer.”

Ame’s blood ran cold as, all at once, every single detail she had picked up on throughout the entire year was shoved under the spotlight, all of the dots finally connecting and the pieces of the puzzle finally falling into place.

::

**_“Yukimura Aguri was a scientist working on a secret project of the government. Something went haywire, but they’re incredibly thorough about keeping the information off the files. Anyway, the whole base imploded a week ago or something, and many lost their lives, including that woman.”_ **

::

 _“Um…”_ Mimura Koki raised his hand. _“What is that? Is it the alien that came to attack us or something?”_

 _“How rude!”_ snapped the octopus. _“I’ll have you know, I was born and raised on Earth!”_

::

 _“Naoki-san…”_ His two tentacles regenerated, and his face suddenly turned orange as his smile widened, if possible. _“What a wonderful assassination that was! Have you been planning for a while?”_

 _“Since your arrival in this class,”_ she shrugged, lifting her bag on her shoulder. _“I knew you had heard of me before since you knew me by name and obviously by reputation. I simply decided to play with your expectations of me, which forced you to lower your guard.”_

::

 _“That’s why I hate this school. Teachers don’t give a rat’s ass about the students, they’re only looking out for their reputation and their paychecks.”_ She then glanced at the three teachers in the room. _“Not you, of course. Korosensei, Karasuma-san, and Bitch-sensei are different. Yukimura-sensei was different too, so it’s really a shame that she’s gone now.”_

At her remark, Korosensei visibly stiffened. She narrowed her eyes a little at that, tucking the reaction in the back of her mind to analyze later.

::

 _“You seem to fail to understand the importance of what we are doing here today,”_ pointed out Shiro, colder now. _“We are eliminating a monster and saving the Earth in the process—“_

 _“Nan, you’re just trying ta erase a mistake ya made,”_ she retorted, more annoyed than scared by now. _“You’re saying it’s for da good of da planet or whatever, but you’re really all just a bunch o’ hypocrites ‘cause you’re da ones who created da problem in da first place!”_ She threw another knife, though this time it was a rubber one, and it bounced on the wall next to Shiro’s head. _“And now it’s turned out like this and you’re all just runnin’ away from da damn issue instead of taking responsibility for it. So what, ya gonna kill him and make everyone forget ‘bout it? Keep on experimenting ‘til things go south again? What makes ya think Itona’s gonna work any better, uh?”_

Shiro narrowed his eyes at her. _“You do not know what you are talking about.”_

 _“Don’t I?”_ She looked him up and down before a lazy smirk stretched her lips. _“Then why are ya so tensed, Shiro-san? Did I struck a chord or somethin’?”_

::

 _“It’s all pretty much guesswork,”_ she finally admitted. _“When Korosensei first got here, he told us he had been born and raised on Earth. Now, I think we can all agree that… whatever he is, wasn’t born on this planet per se. So, I took for granted that he was human before and some experiment went wrong. That theory was confirmed when Itona came. He said he was Korosensei’s brother, but Korosensei denied it, and I knew he wouldn’t lie to us about stuff like this. So, I put two and two together and thought that maybe he had gone through the same experiments Korosensei did, but his went better, in a way. He still had a human appearance, but now possessed the tentacles. At that point, it was kind of easy to guess that Shiro –it’s not his real name, by the way— was one of the people responsible for the situation. He knew too much about Korosensei for not having worked on him in the past. So, I took a shot in the dark and said what I thought. And guess what? I do think I was right.”_ She let out a shaky breath, before grinning. _“To be honest, though, I think the other students guessed that much too. Anyway, so thoughts? Wonders? Questions? Can I leave now?”_

::

Kayano Kaede—or whatever her real name was—was the little sister of Yukimura Aguri, their teacher who had mysteriously died at the beginning of the year. Ame had never really bothered looking into what kind of secret research her teacher had been involved in, mostly because of the intense security that stopped even Usagi from truly gaining any information of worth. She _did_ have an inkling that said research was linked to Korosensei, both because of the timing at which he joined their class, and because of how he had reacted upon hearing the woman’s name. However, with everything that kept on happening, she never really found the time to truly expand on that train of thought.

However, with Yukimura Junior now showing off her own pair of tentacles, she had the definitive proof that the research Yukimura Aguri had been involved in was directly linked to Korosensei, and she could now safely assume that the woman even made regular contact with the creature during its confinement, considering he knew of Ame’s reputation before they even met. As it was, though, the green-haired girl just called the octopus a murderer and, from the way she had just used her sister’s name, it was easy to guess that she was acting on a personal grudge.

 _She’s blaming Yukimura-sensei’s death on Korosensei,_ she easily realized. _Either she’s working in tandem with Shiro, either she somehow managed to get her hands on that secret research after her sister was gone._

_I never bothered looking into any of the students’ profiles, since I never had any reason to be suspicious, and her amazing acting skills never faltered once. It’s true that, now that I think about it, she only joined the E-Class shortly after Yukimura-sensei’s death, but I never found it suspicious because, at the time, I wasn’t interested in my fellow classmates at all. By the time I really noticed her, she already had everyone fooled—me included._

“Well, it’s no use crying over spilled milk,” Kayano then stated, shaking her head. “I have to reset. I’ll try to kill you again tomorrow, Korosensei. I’ll let you know where beforehand. Now that I’ve fought you tentacle-to-tentacle, I know for sure.” She smirked confidently. “I can definitely kill you as I am now.”

On which she took off, disappearing into the distance in a matter of seconds. The yellow octopus and his students could only stare, dumbstruck, and unsure of what to make of this new development.

“Unthinkable,” breathed out Itona, astonished. “If she grew tentacles without any maintenance, she would have been under constant hellish pain. There’s no way she could bear it without having it show on her face.”

“Not only that, but she’s Yukimura Aguri’s little sister?” added Maehara, scratching his head.

“Isn’t that our old homeroom teacher?” added Sugino.

“I thought I’d seen Kayano before somewhere,” then admitted Mimura, checking his phone. “I remembered after seeing her with her hair down and her harsher expression.” He showed a picture of a brown-haired girl to Isogai. “Do you remember Mase Haruna? The young acting prodigy who could easily take on any role. It’s been a while she left the entertainment business, and her hair and personality are completely different, so I didn’t notice before…”

“Ame, did you know anything about this?” asked hesitantly Rio.

The black-haired girl heaved out a sigh, rubbing her temples. “I know… some stuff. I had no idea Kayano was another person entirely, or that she had tentacles, of all things. Now that she’s revealed her true self, though, I think I understand what’s going on.”

“What? In that case, spill already!” urged the blonde.

Ame opened her mouth, before stopping herself. She shot a look at Korosensei, who seemed a tad out of it. He didn’t appear to be paying attention to his surroundings, but she knew for a fact that, in his current state of mind, he was more dangerous than ever.

“… It’s not my place to tell,” she finally admitted, before shaking her head. “It’s up to Kayano and Korosensei if they want to share.”

On which the girl then spun on her heels and started heading back inside.

“What—Ame, wait! What are you going to do!?” called out Rio, confused and wary.

“What I do best, Rio!” Smirking dryly, Ame waved lazily as she walked off. “Meddle in someone else’s business!”

*****

Classes were cut short that day, what with what had happened. After the students kept on insisting that he shared his past with them, he agreed to tell them the whole story—though, only once Kayano had been recovered safely. So, Ame wasted no time in leaving the premises and heading directly for the Zodiac’s headquarters. She had already contacted Usagi about the matter at hand so, as soon as she arrived, she didn’t waste any time in going to find the white-haired man.

“So? Did you manage to get past the firewalls?” she asked, straight to the point.

“It wasn’t easy, and it would have been downright impossible without Ritsu’s help, but I did,” he confirmed, handing her a USB key. “What do you need those for, though? After all this time? I thought you’d gotten over it at that point.”

“I did,” she assured, carefully tucking the item away. “But as it turned out, one of my classmates revealed herself to be my old homeroom teacher’s sister and, as it is, she’s pretty hell-bent on avenging the woman. Add to that a little octopus flair, and… Well, I suppose you get the picture.”

“Crap, there were more of those tentacle cells lying around?” cringed Usagi, rubbing the back of his head. “Talk about a mess… Well, what do you intend to do with all of this footage, anyway? Most of it is corrupted, and it’s not like there’s any data of interest in it…”

“There might be no data, but there is one important thing: the truth.” She patted the pocket in which she had slipped the USB key. “Whatever actually happened that night, it was entirely recorded, and it can be found on this footage. If Korosensei actually killed Yukimura-sensei or not, I can’t say for certain—but that footage can.”

“Well, alright. Though, there are quite a few hours of footage in there,” he warned, frowning a little. “I’m already swarmed with work, so I can’t do much more for you…”

“Don’t worry!” Ritsu suddenly popped up on his main screen, smiling brightly. “Ame-san, I’ll help you out! According to my calculations, if we get started right away, we should be done in exactly six hours and thirty-seven minutes!”

“Then, let’s not waste any more time,” nodded Ame, cracking her knuckles a bit. “Yukimura Junior set up the rendezvous with Korosensei tonight, so I have to make my move before then.”

*****

_6 P.M._

_._

_._

_“I don’t care if I die. As long as I get my revenge…_ Or so you think. Right, Kayano? Or rather, Akari.”

The green-haired girl stiffened slightly, looking over her shoulder to find none other than Naoki Ame. There was no denying that, out of all of the students in the E-Class, the black-haired girl was the one Akari was the wariest of. After all, she was incredibly perceptive, and she had been scared that the teen would blow her cover more than once.

“How did you find me?” she asked simply.

“I’ll tell you after this is all over, if you really want to know,” replied Ame with a nonchalant shrug. She slowly made her way up to her classmate, her feet not making a single sound as they hit the ground. “I’ve gotta say, though: well done. I’ve never met anyone before who actually managed to fool me like you did. Your title of ‘acting prodigy’ isn’t overrated.”

“Or maybe you’re simply not as smart as you’d like to believe,” snorted bitterly Akari, a tad on edge. “But you’re not the kind of person to beat around the bush, Naoki. If you came out here to find me an hour before the rendezvous, then I suppose you are here to try and reason with me? Talk some sense into me, maybe? Or outright stop me by force?”

“I just came here to show you something, Akari.” Ame stopped about two meters away from the girl, before offering her her phone. “I’m not here to try and stop you. You’re free to do whatever you want. _One_ little thing that doesn’t sit right with me, though, is your motivation.” Ame narrowed her eyes. “We’re a class of assassins, so you’re free to try and assassinate Korosensei as you please—but don’t do it for an unfounded need of revenge, because I can tell you this right now _: Korosensei didn’t kill Yukimura Aguri._ If you kill him under the motivation of avenging your sister, then you won’t be an assassin anymore—you’ll be an actual murderer.”

“So _what?”_ spat Akari, anger sparking up. “What if I become a murderer? And what would you know of my motivation? Who are you to judge if I’m right or wrong!? You don’t know anything! And how dare you- how dare you defend that monster!? I was _there!_ I saw him kill her with my own two eyes!!!”

Ame quirked an eyebrow, unimpressed. “I’m an _info-broker,_ Akari. I know a lot more than I should probably know and, right now, I’m ready to bet that I know a lot more than _you.”_ She offered the girl her phone again. “It’s a video—footage, of when the labs were blown up. If you just take a minute to watch it, you’ll understand—“

“Shut up! Stop acting all high and mighty when you couldn’t possibly understand what I feel! I’ve gone through an entire _year_ of silently suffering, keeping up this damned charade to try and blend in, just waiting for the perfect moment to strike and claim justice for what was done to Aguri-nee-san…” Her eyes were wide with barely restrained anger, and her tentacles were wiggling around, expressing her agitation. “All of this lying… All of this pain… I’ve sacrificed everything in order to right the wrongs, and it’s not some sociopathic girl who didn’t even cry at her own parents’ funerals that’ll tell me that what I’m feeling is wrong!!!” Ame’s eyes widened, and she took a step back, startled. Noticing this, the green-haired girl let out a sharp, almost cruel laugh. “That’s right! I know! What, you think you’re the only one who can look things up on the Internet? I mean, once you finally told us about your sad little backstory, I just had to check the facts, you know? And, surprise! The first thing I found was a picture of a little girl with eyes as dry as her heart.” In a flash, Akari crossed the distance between the two of them and roughly poked Ame in the chest. “Don’t go judging my motivation when you’re even more emotionally twisted than I am, Naoki Ame. And, most importantly… _Don’t get in my way.”_

At once, one of her tentacles slammed into the black-haired girl and mercilessly sent her flying into the nearest tree. The trunk caved under the impact and Ame collapsed to the ground, wheezing and hacking as air suddenly filled her lungs again.

“Oh, would you look at that? It’s almost time,” mused lightly Akari, walking away without another look back. “Don’t try to interfere again, Naoki—or I can’t guarantee you’ll make it out alive, this time around.”

On which the green-haired girl disappeared, using her tentacles to propel herself above the forest. As soon as she disappeared, Ame let out a groan, both in pain and frustrated.

“Ame-san! Are you alright?” asked worriedly Ritsu through her phone, which had fallen a few meters away.

“Ugh, I’m fine… Somewhat…” She sat up, holding her stomach. Moving hurt like hell. “Well, that didn’t go as planned, did it? I guess we really have to leave the rest to Korosensei.”

“In that case, we should hurry,” urged Ritsu, looking worried. “The duel is about to start.”

“Got it. Keep the footage nearby, though—it might come in handy.”

“Understood!”

Nodding back, Ame attempted to get up… and pain instantly shot through her entire body. She could tell nothing was broken, but she was ready to bet that one or two of her ribs had cracked, and she internally cursed as she realized that making her way to the zebra grass field would definitely take a lot longer than initially planned.

* * *

.

.

The E-Class and Korosensei reached the field of zebra grass where Yukimura Akari was already waiting for them—or rather, for her target. Her long hair swayed in the breeze, and she had changed out of her uniform. Adding to that her unnaturally blank expression, well, she looked like a completely different person, and the sight greatly unsettled her friends.

 _Though, were we really her friends, or was she just using us all along?_ Wondered internally Nagisa, greatly troubled.

“So you came,” mused Kayano—no, _Akari._ “Then, let’s end this.”

Korosensei didn’t know what to say, still uncertain of how exactly he should react in the face of such a novel threat. No matter the situation or the reason, the girl was one of his students and, as such, he had no desire to fight her. Plus, knowing that she was Yukimura Aguri’s little sister made him even more unwilling to clash tentacles with her.

“Korosensei, I’m the one who gave you your name,” she then recalled, seemingly amused by the notion. “I’m practically your mother, so I’ll scold you and destroy you.”

“Kayano-san, it is too dangerous to keep using these tentacles!” warned Korosensei, visibly nervous. “If you do not remove them and get treated immediately, your life could be in danger!”

“What are you talking about? They’re in excellent condition,” she replied, easily shrugging off his worries. “It’s no use trying to make me lose my composure with a bluff.”

“Kayano…” Nagisa finally dared to speak up. “Was it all an act? Even when we were having fun? Or overcoming trials together with everyone?”

“It was all an act,” she confirmed nonchalantly. “I _am_ an actor, after all. When Nagisa was defeated by Takaoka-sensei, I was so irritated; I wanted to join the fight, too. When I was kidnapped by delinquents and kicked by the Reaper, I was so angry, I wanted to kill them. But I bore it and acted like a frail girl, because if my identity was found out before I killed him, I wouldn’t be able to avenge my sister.”

“Your sister… You mean Yukimura-sensei?” asked hesitantly Fuwa.

“It was so unfortunate that she was killed by Korosensei. She loved being a teacher. I heard a little about you all, too,” replied Akari, narrowing her eyes as her mind wandered back to those long-since-lost happy moments.

“We know, Kayano,” assured Takebayashi, pushing up his glasses. “In March of our second year, we only had her for two short weeks, but she was a very passionate and good teacher.”

“But… Would Korosensei really kill Yukimura-sensei just like that…?” insisted Sugino, dubious. “He’s never done anything that cruel in front of us before.”

::

 _“We’re a class of assassins, so you’re free to try and assassinate Korosensei as you please—but don’t do it for an unfounded need of revenge, because I can tell you this right now:_ Korosensei didn’t kill Yukimura Aguri.”

::

“Right? At least hear him out, Kaede-chan,” pleaded Kurahashi, hopeful.

“He was a teacher who even came all the way to my house when I was suspended,” stated Karma, uncharacteristically serious. “But are you really okay with this? I can’t imagine that what you’re doing now is the best way to solve this as an assassin.”

::

_“If you kill him under the motivation of avenging your sister, then you won’t be an assassin anymore—you’ll be an actual murderer.”_

::

“Your body probably feels hot, with just the nape of your neck cold,” remarked Itona, a ghost pain running through his own neck. “It’s the abnormal metabolism characteristic of those with implanted tentacles. If you fight in that condition, you’ll really be in trouble. You’ll lose control with the heat and intense pain, and the tentacles will suck your life force out. Worst case—“

“Enough!” The tips of the tentacles suddenly burst into flames, and she glared. “Outsiders ought to be quiet! First Naoki, and then the rest of you… What could you possibly know or understand of all of this!?” Gritting her teeth, she took an offensive position. “No matter the weakness or shortcoming, if it’s polished, it can become a weapon. You’re the one who taught me that, Korosensei! If my body’s so hot I can’t bear it, then I’ll make it even hotter and gather the heat in my tentacles!”

“No! Any more, and—!”

At once, fire spread to the zebra grass, forming a perfect ring around Akari and Korosensei, and effectively shutting out the students. At that point, she truly was too far gone to reason with, and she wasted no time in attacking Korosensei, who was well forced to defend himself. As for the E-Class, well, they could only watch it all unfold with growing worry.

However, one detail had stuck out to Isogai.

“Nakamura-san, she mentioned Ame-san, did she not?” he asked, gulping a bit as the flames grew a tad too close for comfort.

“I- I think so, yeah,” nodded the blonde, shooting a nervous look around. “She told me she’d meddle into things again, but if she’s not here and Kayano is, then I guess whatever plan she had didn’t work out…”

“You know her better than I do. Ame-san isn’t the type to give up, even when things don’t go as planned,” he pointed out, frowning.

“So, if she’s not here right now, either she’s got something else up her sleeve, either she’s in trouble,” guessed Rio, gritting her teeth. “Damn it! She—“

“Nakamura-san! Isogai-kun!” They both startled a bit, before Rio pulled out her phone, only to find Ritsu occupying the screen with a worried expression. “Ame-san is currently injured and attempting to make her way here, but I’m afraid she might hurt herself even more in the process. She asked me not to contact anyone for help since the current confrontation is more important, but—“

“Gah, that idiot! I’ll definitely beat some sense into her once I find her!” growled Rio, about ready to tear her hair out in frustration.

“I’ll go look for her,” announced Isogai, also pulling out his phone. “Ritsu, can you guide me to her?”

“Of course!”

“Good. Nakamura-san, keep an eye on everyone in the meantime, and make sure none of them try to interfere directly,” he instructed, shooting a pointed look at Nagisa—who was currently struggling against Sugino and Mimura as he kept on yelling at Kayano. “We’ll be back as soon as feasible.”

At first hesitant, Rio then nodded firmly. “Got it. I’ll leave Ame to you, then.”

“Aa!”

* * *

_._

_._

_Damn it, she busted my ribs worst than I thought… Ugh, at least it’s not as bad as when that bastard Takaoka did it… Ugh, am I still too far? I can’t hear anything, but there’s smoke coming from over there, so I’m guessing they’ve started… Shit, if we don’t stop her, she’ll definitely do something she’ll regret… Or worst, she’ll die… Gah, fucking pain in the ass! Can’t this mountain make itself a tad easier to climb!?_

“Ame-san!”

The black-haired girl startled, her eyes snapping upward, and she was surprised to find none other than Isogai making his way down toward her. He was before her a few seconds later, his brows furrowing as he took notice of the way she held her stomach, and how she was visibly hunched over with restrained pain.

“You did something reckless again, didn’t you?” he stated, almost like he was scolding her. He grabbed her arm and slung it around his neck in order to support her. “I thought we had gotten past your lone wolf act, Ame-san. Why can’t you rely on us a little?”

“Well, to be fair, I didn’t expect her to react so strongly,” huffed the girl, though she was thankful for how he helped to lessen the strain on her body. “I found the info I wanted but, when I went to show it to her, she just snapped and rammed me into a tree. I didn’t think she’d be so far gone already.”

After a few seconds of consideration, an understanding smile graced Isogai’s lips. “Ah, I see. It’s not that you didn’t trust us, but rather that you trusted her to listen to you, right? Sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

“U- uh? Ah, no, it- it’s okay.” For some reason, Ame felt somewhat flustered. She hadn’t expected him to grasp her reason so easily, but maybe she was becoming a tad predictable. “I should have told you guys anyway, just in case. Old habits die hard, I guess.” However, now wasn’t the time for small talk, and they both started walking, with Isogai supporting Ame as much as he could manage. “What’s the situation?”

“Kayano-san… Or Akari-san, rather, trapped Korosensei in a ring of fire, and they’re both fighting right now,” he explained, obviously distraught by the whole situation a lot more than he let on. “Itona- Itona told us that even if she managed to kill Korosensei, she’d die shortly after because of the tentacles.” He glanced back at her, smiling a tad wryly. “You wouldn’t happen to have a miracle tentacle-remover on hand, would you?”

She snorted, somewhat bitterly. “I wish. I tried looking into it, but I didn’t have enough time, so I settled for the next best thing.” Determination settled in her eyes as she looked dead ahead. Further into the woods, she could now make out lights—or rather, flames. _Almost there!_ “If we can get it to her in time, it ought to give Korosensei the opening he needs to remove the tentacles.”

There was a moment of silence. Curious, she glanced at Isogai, who now had a small, soft smile on his lips. Despite the gravity of the situation, he looked almost happy at the moment.

“What is it, Isogai-kun?” she dared to ask, a tad confused.

“Uh? Oh, I just thought that it was a nice change of pace,” he simply replied.

“What do you mean?”

His smile widened ever so slightly. “You said _we._ Thanks for relying on me, Ame-san.”

“U- uh? I- I don’t—that’s not—gah! Stop saying random stuff like that!” she protested, instantly averting her eyes. “We’re friends, right? So don’t go making a big deal out of it!”

“Right, right.”

He was still smiling, though, and Ame sincerely hoped he hadn’t noticed the deepening red on her cheeks.

* * *

.

.

“Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!”

“Looks more like _she’s_ going to die—any minute now,” remarked darkly Maehara, lowering his eyes.

“Is there really nothing we can do?” despaired Sugino. “Do we just stand by and watch her get eaten away by her bloodlust?”

“CLASS!”

The students of the E-Class startled as, all of sudden, the face of their teacher appeared before them, blinking in and out of existence as an inhuman pace.

“Korosensei!” gasped Nagisa.

“Why just your face?” wondered Sugaya.

“It’s a clone! I don’t have much leeway with Kayano-san’s ferocious attacks—it’s all I can do to leave an afterimage of my face!” replied the clone, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. “Now, listen closely! We have to remove her tentacles ASAP! They’re only putting off all that abnormal heat because she’s not giving any thought to her own survival! At this rate, the tentacles will suck out all her life force and she’ll die! _However!_ As long as her bloodlust matches that of her tentacles, they’ll be rooted to her nerves, impossible to remove! We don’t have the time to talk her down like we did with Itona-kun. There’s only one way: I’ll pull them out as we fight.” Many of the students tensed up, visibly against this particular course of action. It was way too risky! “I’ll let her hit my greatest weak spot: my heart, located just under my tie. If it’s completely destroyed, I’ll die. If I can make her feel like she did me in, her tentacles’ bloodlust will weaken for a moment, if only a bit. And in that moment, one of _you_ will have to make Kayano-san forget _her_ bloodlust!”

“Forget her bloodlust? How?” wondered Kimura.

“Whatever works—anything to get her mind off assassination. It’s the only thing _I_ can’t do,” replied their teacher, struggling to keep up with the girl without outright hurting her. “If the target of her bloodlust were to try any funny business, her bloodlust would only intensify. But, if you can quell that bloodlust, the tentacles’ bond with her would momentarily be broken, and I might be able to remove them with minimal damage!”

“And Kayano’s tentacles would be on your heart this whole time? In that case, wouldn’t you die first?” protested Fuwa.

“If I’m lucky, I’ll postpone that final, fatal moment… But I’d say the odds of me dying first are fifty-fifty!” He seemed rather nonchalant for someone who talked about dying. “For me, the entire class not being able to graduate uneventfully is even worse than dying— _whoa_!”

His afterimage vanished as the green-haired girl managed to land a powerful strike, effectively forcing him to fully focus on the battle at hand. With everything being said, though, the students were left to their own devices. What were they supposed to do? Letting Korosensei die didn’t sit so well with them, and facing their crazed classmate was extremely risky. Plus, how could they possibly distract her in a way that would make her just… _forget,_ her bloodlust?

 _The clap stunner?_ Nagisa’s mind was running a mile a minute. _No. If the wavelength of her consciousness is that messed up, a single clap stunner won’t be able to hit at the ideal moment. Knives… Guns… All this stuff would just hurt Kayano. Isn’t there anything else? The techniques we mastered in this classroom—we learned anything and everything to make us expert assassins! It’s—wait. There_ is _that one killer move… But for that to work, I’d need to get in close, meaning I need a distraction—_

**_“NO!”_ **

**_“AGURI!”_ **

The sudden voices that were blasted through the clearing instantly caught the attention of everyone present, and all eyes instantly snapped to the source. They really should have expected it, but Ame was there, holding up her phone, with Isogai supporting her. On said phone was playing a video of some sort, but they were too far to see what it was.

They could hear everything, though, and so could Kayano. As soon as she heard the female voice, she stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide and her feet barely brushing the ground as she froze in place.

**_“N- now I’ve done it… Never thought that trap would just slither out like that…”_ **

**_“Why!?”_ **

**_“I had the feeling… my voice wouldn’t be enough to stop you…”_ **

**_“… I may as well have killed you myself…!”_ **

**_“Of course… you didn’t… I just did… what I wanted to do… Besides, I don’t mind… being killed… for you… That’s- that’s how important… you are to me…”_ **

Nagisa’s eyes widened as he suddenly noticed the opening he had been given. Time seemed to still as the green-haired girl literally froze in place, her frantic eyes now entirely focused on Ame—or rather, the phone she was holding up. Without a sound, like a snake slithering in the grass, Nagisa managed to make his way to a practically paralyzed Kayano and, without a moment of hesitation, he snaked his arm around her neck, brought her closer… and pressed his lips against hers.

…

…

…

“WHAT!?”

Startled exclamations, confused shouts, and the distinct noise of clicking cameras echoed in the background, but Nagisa paid them no mind as he entirely focused on the girl now trapped in his grasp, using the killer mover their R-rated teacher had taught him at the beginning of the year.

Ame heaved out a relieved sigh as Nagisa worked his magic. Although she hadn’t expected him to do… _that,_ well, she couldn’t deny the positive results. In a matter of seconds, the green-haired girl passed out, completely overwhelmed by the clash of emotions that suddenly washed over her, and Korosensei used that opportunity to carefully clip away the tentacles and remove them without damaging his student’s nerves.

As soon as he was done, all of the E-Class slumped in relief, glad it was over, and they didn’t waste any time in gathering around.

“Does- does this mean Kayano-chan is all right, now?” asked worriedly Kurahashi.

“Yes, most assuredly,” nodded Korosensei. He looked a little banged up, but he was also unharmed. Thanks to the distraction provided by Ame, he hadn’t had to use his greatest weakness in order to trap his student. “She’ll need absolute rest for a while, though.”

Nagisa sighed, but his relief was quickly forgotten as two demons loomed over his shoulders, making a chill run down his spine.

“Hey, Prince Charming! Shutting her down with a kiss, eh? Nice!” grinned deviously Rio.

“Didn’t think you had it in you, Nagisa-kun!” teased Karma, waving his phone in his face.

“I- I thought it was a good way to make her forget her bloodlust,” admitted Nagisa, now embarrassed. “I’ll apologize to her later.”

Irina suddenly leaned in closer, smirking. “Fifteen hits on a ten-seconds kiss? You’re not there yet. I trained you on forced, indiscriminate French kisses. You should have been able to make forty.”

“Hmm. Twenty-five’s tight for me,” Maehara added, with Okajima nodding in agreement in the background.

“God, I hate this place,” sighed Kataoka. “I can just about make it to twenty.”

“Ugh, I’m glad this is over,” groaned Ame, while Isogai helped her sit down. “That was a tad too close for my liking…”

“Naoki-san, if I may…” Korosensei was suddenly by her side. “That footage—“

“It was just to stop Akari, but she wouldn’t listen to it, hence why she insisted on fighting you. You don’t have to worry, though—I won’t show it to anyone else. Or at least, I won’t unless you give me permission to. It’s your story, Korosensei—do whatever you want with it.”

“… I see. So you knew all along, then?”

“I knew a lot, but things really started making sense once Akari revealed herself.” Ame flinched a bit as pain spread through her stomach. “One way or another, though, you ought to think about things twice the next time you try to sacrifice yourself for a greater cause—I won’t be able to save your ass every time.” She then glared. “We heard you. You said that for the entire class to not be able to graduate uneventfully would be worst than death for you, but have you thought at all about how Akari might feel about that? Had she succeeded in killing you, even if it allowed us to save her, she would have been eaten away by her grief and her guilt instead of her bloodlust. Don’t be so selfish!”

Korosensei tensed up at the accusation, before slumping forward. “I- I see… I understand, Naoki-san. I hadn’t even considered such an eventuality. I’ll be more careful from—“

**‘POW’**

Korosensei only barely managed to dodge the bullet, and the rest of the class flinched upon hearing the gunshot. Stiffening, Ame looked behind her. A few meters away stood two figures, one of which was all too familiar, and her blood instantly started boiling with barely restrained anger.

“Shiro…” she growled, clenching her fist over the handle of one of her knives.

Before she could even think of throwing it, though, Isogai placed his hand over hers, effectively stopping her. She shot him an annoyed look, but he merely shook his head.

“You’re in no state to start a fight, Ame-san,” he stated, serious. “Let us handle this.”

“… Fine.”

“Quite playing teachers already. It doesn’t suit a monster like you,” stated plainly Shiro, narrowing his eyes at the octopus. He then glared at the unconscious girl on the ground. “Useless girl… She’d give her own life for that revenge narrative of hers—you’d think she could have done a bit better than _this._ You’re truly nothing more than a monster. Just how many assassins have you driven away in a single year? But there are still two of them right here.” Without any warning, Shiro suddenly removed his mask, revealing his face for the first time. “I’m the last one. You took everything away… and I’ll make you pay for it with your life—“

“Ooh, look at poor little him, a genius guy who lost everything because he has no fucking morals or ethics of any kind, who thought everything was due to him because of his name, and who considers every single person he meets as usable and disposable,” snorted Ame, unimpressed by the grand speech. “ _Woo you,_ am I right, Yanagisawa Kotaro? I mean, you used human experimentation to further your research, you beat your fiancée whenever you felt like it, and you even decided to use _children_ in order to fulfill your desire for revenge even though you’re really the only one to blame for everything that's happened to you—but who am I to judge, right? I’m just a kid, so I can’t possibly know the difference between right and wrong better than an adult—oh, wait.” Her glare hardened. “ _I do._ Are you quite done playing the martyr now, or do I need to further emphasize the fact that _you’re a fucking scumbag?”_

“I see you’ve grown an even looser tongue since we’ve last met, Naoki Ame,” grunted the mad scientist, gritting his teeth a bit. “But laugh while you still can, because March is just around the corner, and it will bring about the perfect death for an accursed life—or two, if it just so happens that way. Come, 2.0.”

On which the man walked away without another look back and, after a moment of hesitation, the masked sniper also followed suit. Ame grumbled under her breath, wondering just why the hell he had bothered to show up if it was just to talk away a minute later. Before anyone could start grilling her about whatever she knew about Shiro, though, Kayano finally regained consciousness.

“I…”

“Kayano-san, I’m glad to see you’re alright,” stated simply Korosensei.

“Kayano, are you okay?” asked Nagisa, concerned.

She quickly averted her eyes, embarrassed. “U- uh…”

“Kayano…” called out quietly Yada.

No one really knew what to say. After a few seconds, the green-haired girl sighed.

“It was pure bloodlust at first… But, as I spent time with Korosensei, I started losing my conviction in that bloodlust. Like, doesn’t this teacher have some circumstances I don’t know about? And shouldn’t I find out what they are before I kill him? But that’s when the bloodlust in the tentacles swelled forth. They wouldn’t let me _not_ do it.” A bittersweet smile graced her lips. “How dumb. Everyone was genuinely enjoying their assassinations while I wasted the whole year on plain old revenge…”

“Kayano.” She looked up at Nagisa again, who smiled. “Once you taught me this hairstyle, I stopped fretting about my long hair. And like you said, everyone liked the name _Korosensei_ —we’ve been using it all year. It doesn’t matter what you were after. We all made you our friend, together. No matter how much you suffered on your own, we can’t let you say it was all an act—not all those days you were smiling right there with us.” Nagisa then gestured to the rest of the class. “Korosensei promised to tell us everything once we were all together. He’s not a saint. We know he doesn’t always do the right thing. But, let’s hear him out—all of us, together.”

“Yeah…” At last, tears started rolling down her cheeks. “Thank you… I can stop acting, now…”

“Korosensei,” then called out Isogai, turning to their teacher. “Whatever’s in your past, we’ll accept it—as long as it’s the truth.”

“… I wanted _never_ to talk about my past if I could help it,” then admitted the octopus. “But now, I see I have to. I don’t want to lose your trust, that bond we share. This past summer, on that southern island, Karasuma-sensei said of Irina-sensei: _the better the assassin, the broader her skillset._ I think that’s relevant here. This E-Class is the first I’ve ever taught. Even so, I’ve managed to teach you just about every subject without a hitch. Why do you think that is?”

“No- no way…” gasped Karma, the first to understand.

Takebayashi gulped. “You’re telling us…?”

“Aa. Until two years ago, I was the assassin known as the Reaper. And one more thing: even if you do nothing, I’ll die come March. Either I die alone or the Earth dies with me—that’s the only part of the future an assassination can change.”

Now, Ame didn’t know about _that_ particular detail, although she had had her doubts. Really, Korosensei being the Reaper only made sense. However, since she had yet to get her hands on the actual files related to the secret research led by a certain Yanagisawa Kotaro, there were still a few blanks that needed to be filled in—which was what Korosensei did next.

Without going too much into the details, their teacher told them all about his past as the world-renown assassin, the Reaper. He told them about how his apprentice betrayed him, and how he was caught and sentenced to death by the Japanese authorities. He told them about Yanagisawa Kotaro’s research about creating antimatter within a living entity, and how he was used as a guinea pig for every single experiment.

He told them about Yukimura Aguri and the role she played in his story. About how she cared for him, about how lame her shirts were, about how she was practically at the mercy of Yanagisawa, who often took his anger out on her. He told them about how she’d often seek his advice, and how he came to learn about all of them—the E-Class and their struggles.

He told them about the experiment gone wrong, and how the eternal crescent moon came to be—a miscalculation of lethal consequence on Yanagisawa’s part that could very well lead to the destruction of the Earth itself, was it not dealt with as quickly as possible. He told them about how he attempted to escape the facility upon learning they intended to kill him, of how he killed everyone in his path, of how he utterly destroyed the entire lab.

He told them of how Yukimura Aguri tried to stop him.

He told them of how she died because of his carelessness.

And he told them about the promise he made to her, in her last moments.

_“I swear… I’ll never let go of them…!”_

A heavy silence now weighed upon the entire group, and Korosensei bowed his head. “That’s my story. The one who taught me to be a teacher was Yukimura Aguri-sensei. To truly look at the people before you and respect them as equal human beings, not to judge them solely on their weaknesses… I learned the fundamentals of being a teacher from her. I added my own knowledge and experience and prepared to face you all. I would use my abilities to the fullest to give you the gift of the best growth and development. But how best to do that? I racked my brain… and finally landed on the assassination classroom, where I’d use what remained of my life.”

No one knew what to do or say, because they all shared the same thought at that point: _can we truly kill this teacher of ours?_ Ame bit her lower lip, averting her eyes. She knew how heavy was the weight of someone’s life, even more so when you were the one forced to carry it. In the end, no matter the reasons or the consequences, taking a life would _always_ leave a scar, even if you somehow managed to tell yourself it was for the “greater good”. Now, because Ame knew that, she was prepared: if it really came down to it, she _could_ and _would_ kill again.

 _But… can the same be said for them?_ She glanced at the silent students around her, easily noticing their troubles and distraught expressions. _We’re going on a short break for New Year but, once we come back, will their determination be the same as it was? Or will their hearts waver?_

“Anyway, I understand this is all a lot to take in,” then stated Korosensei, back to his usual, cheerful self—or so he tried to make them believe. “I believe it’s high time everyone headed back home, now. Karasuma-sensei, could you drop Yukimura-san off at the hospital?” The man mutely nodded. He, too, was somewhat troubled by everything he’d just learned, though he tried not to show it. “Good. In that case, I will see all of you once you’ve returned from the winter break. Get some rest, relax, and have fun, alright?”

And, before anyone could reply or protest, he was gone, using his Mach 20 speed to hightail it out of the zebra grass field before his students could fully process everything he had just told them. Ame couldn’t really blame him, though—he had just told them his greatest secret, his greatest _shame,_ but most importantly, he made them _doubt._ And, sometimes, the best way to figure things out was to do it on your own, hence why he left so quickly.

“A- Ame-chan…” Snapping back to reality, the girl looked over at Akari. She was on the verge of tears, but for a completely different reason, now. “I- I’m so sorry… You tried to warn me… You- you tried to show me the truth, and yet I’ve said—I’ve told you such horrible things… And I hurt you…”

“Maa, maa, don’t worry about it, it’s fine—“

“No! No, it’s not _fine_!” snapped the girl, gritting her teeth. “I know- I know you’re quick to forgive, I know you rarely hold grudges when it comes to the people you care about… but I _hurt_ you, Ame-chan—in more ways than one, and _that’s not okay_.” Akari met Ame’s surprised gaze head-on, before bowing deeply. “I didn’t mean anything I said to you earlier. I was completely driven by my anger and my pain, and all I sought was to also make you suffer, but I didn’t mean a single word of it—but even so, _I hurt you,_ and- and…”

“I think that what she’s trying to say is: think a bit more about yourself, Ame,” intervened Rio, lightly hitting her friend over the head. “Despite what you think, it’s not okay for people to hurt you, even if they’re people you care about. We won’t think any less of you if you get angry or snap back.”

_Ah, so I’ve truly become this predictable, haven’t I? On one hand, it’s true that I always lay low and take everything in stride when it comes from my friends and my family because I rationalize: the pain they sometimes make me feel is short-lived and ultimately pointless, and I don’t want them to hate me for getting worked up over it._

_But… I guess that, in a way, it’s another form of trust I’ve got to work on, right?_

“I understand,” nodded Ame, offering a tentative smile at Akari. “Since you were honest with me, I’ll be honest with you: every single thing you said was true—that’s why it hurt. I can’t blame you for calling it as you saw it, really, but I’m not mad about it.” Her smile widened, and she reached out to pat her friend on the shoulder. “I’m just really glad you’re okay, now! So, let’s finish the year together, everyone—without masks and without acting, to enjoy whatever time we have left. Alright?”

Seeing Ame act so normally after hearing the truth from Korosensei somehow brought back a sense of calmness, and the students finally relaxed a bit. They could keep the doubts and worries for when they had gotten at least a good night’s rest—for now, what mattered was that everyone was safe and sound, and that no more secrets plagued their classroom. As if a dam was broken, the rest of the students started talking, expressing their relief or their exhaustion, and just in overall happy that everything was over and dealt with.

“Naoki, do you also need a lift to the hospital?” then inquired Karasuma, coming to stand beside Kayano.

“Uh? No, I’m—“ She paused, sparing a glance for Isogai, before sighing and nodding. “Yeah, I guess I could use a trip to the hospital. I think my ribs are busted. _Again.”_

“Waa, I’m so sorry!” cried out Kayano. “I didn’t mean to hit you that hard…!”

“If anything, it’s my fault for provoking you when you were in such a state of mind,” sweatdropped Ame, before shaking her head and looking at Isogai again. “A- anyway, thanks for coming to get me, Isogai-kun. I wouldn’t have made it without you.”

“Of course! Anything for you, Ame-san!” he simply grinned.

She could only blink as she slowly processed what he had just said.

…

…

…

“W- wait, that came out a little weird!!!” he exclaimed, suddenly just as flustered as she was. Despite the darkness, she could still make out the redness now adorning his cheeks. “I didn’t mean it like—I mean, it wasn’t—!”

“N- no, of course, I get it. Ahem!” Ame cleared her throat, averting her eyes. “Nope. Totally get it, don’t worry. Of course. Right.”

“Y- yeah. Totally.”

From the side, watching the now awkward interaction from afar, Rio, Karma, and Maehara exchanged a knowing grin. Despite the darkness, it wasn’t hard to notice the redness tainting both of the teens’ cheeks, and it only made them all the more hopeful for what was to come.

“Eh, eh, I’m gonna get started on getting into Ame’s head,” grinned Rio, rubbing her hands in anticipation. “Maehara-kun, be a dear and keep an eye on Isogai-kun?”

“Ooh, I’m gonna do a lot more than that,” he assured, sporting a similar grin.

 _Poor Ame-san and Isogai-kun…_ sweatdropped Nagisa, slowly inching away from the trio. _But I’m sorry… Better you than me!_

 _I am so_ not _getting involved in this,_ paled Sugino, also backing away.

“You guys _know_ that Ame is going to skin us if we try to get involved, right?” After a moment, Karma’s grin deepened and, for a second, anyone watching him could have sworn he grew a pair of demonic horns. “This is going to be fun~.”

Oblivious to them, both Ame and Isogai simply averted their eyes from each other. One just wanted to disappear underground, while the other couldn’t understand why her heart was now beating so fast.

“Hey, Ame-chan,” then called out Akari, tilting her head. “I hadn’t thought about this before, but how did you find me, earlier?”

“Uh?” Startled, Ame then chuckled sheepishly. “Ah, that’d be thanks to the tracker.”

“The tracker…?”

The black-haired girl gestured to the frog-shaped keychain that was attached to the girl’s phone, and which was now hanging out of her pocket.

::

 _“Wow. That’s… so not you, Ame,”_ sweatdropped Rio, however picking up the one in the form of a pizza slice. _“Why are you really doing this?”_

 _“I put a tracker in each of them so that I’d be able to stalk you guys,”_ deadpanned Ame.

_“You so would.”_

::

There were a few seconds of silence, before Rio facepalmed, groaning loudly. “You’ve _got_ to be shitting me…”

Ame simply let out a nervous laugh. “Well, can’t say I didn’t tell you, right…?”


	35. Thirty-Fifth Period: Divisive Time

“The third term is upon us, class—let’s play hard and kill hard this year, too.”

Unfortunately enough, his usual “welcome back” speech fell flat, and no amount of pep talk was enough to get his students worked up. Obviously, they were all still troubled by the situation, and none of them could properly come to terms with the fact that they would eventually have to kill their teacher—no more fun assassinations, only blood-chilling loss.

The silence the class had been plunged into was broken by none other than Irina, surprisingly enough.

“The most foolish kill is to kill recklessly, out of emotion or greed. That’s what animals do.”

“Bitch-sensei…” murmured Yada.

“Next is to kill your feelings while you kill your target, giving up so very much in exchange for a bounty,” continued the woman, unperturbed. “Like I did. You really need to think this through, kids, so you won’t kill off the feelings you hold most dear.”

 _Not kill our feelings, uh?_ No matter how she tried to convince herself, Ame was as troubled as the rest of her classmates. She had gotten caught up in their games, and she now faced an abrupt reality. _And yet, it would be the easiest way to deal with killing someone we all came to care about so greatly…_

* * *

Ame didn’t really know whether to be surprised or not, but Nagisa was the one to take the lead and gather the entire class outside, a little further into the forest in order to avoid being eavesdropped on by the adults. The usually loose-lipped girl decided to stick to the sidelines this time around—at least until her input was requested.

“It ain’t like you to be callin’ us all together like this, Nagisa,” remarked Terasaka, curious.

“There’s something I’d really like to discuss,” announced the blue-haired boy. After a few seconds, he raised his head, determined. “I don’t know if it’s even possible, but I want to find a way to save Korosensei’s life.”

“Save it… You mean, a way to keep Korosensei from exploding come March?” understood Mimura, surprised.

“Where would we even start with that?” wondered Okano.

“I don’t know yet,” admitted Nagisa. “I don’t know, but…!”

“I’m in!” Kurahashi was quick to give her opinion, beaming. “I wanna look for tons more creepy-crawlies with Korosensei!”

“Kurahashi-san…”

“If you hadn’t said something, Nagisa, I would have,” stated Kataoka, smiling as she stepped forward. “I want to repay him.”

“Kataoka-san…!”

“Our assassination work has gotten us far enough,” mused Hara.

“Let’s tackle a whole new challenge!” grinned Sugino.

“Like launching a new series,” chuckled knowingly Fuwa.

“We’ll regret it if we don’t,” agreed Okano, nodding. “We should do what we can, at least.”

More students started rallying together around Nagisa, but Ame simply leaned against the tree behind her, watching everything unfold with a calculating gaze. Her own feelings aside, she was now well-aware of the kind of influence she had over her fellow classmates. They had grown and learned to trust her judgment and, if she was to give a sound argument, many would be swayed to her side without properly considering their own feelings—and she didn’t want that to happen. For this to work out properly, everyone needed to be conscious of their own feelings and act upon them accordingly, without her meddling into it.

“I hate to spoil the mood…” Rio was the first to take the opposite stand. “But I’m against the idea. Our bond is one of assassin and target. Korosensei said as much. And I really treasure the bond we’ve built over this past year. But that’s exactly why… I think we have to kill him.”

“You’re… against it…?” repeated Nagisa, taken aback.

“You say you wanna save him, but _how,_ exactly?” demanded Terasaka, unimpressed.

“W- well—“

“It’s not like we haven’t thought about it,” added Yoshida.

“But what if time runs out before we find a way?” continued Muramatsu.

“You think that octopus is going to be happy, having such half-assed students, coming to such a half-assed ending?” insisted Terasaka.

“But- but isn’t it at least worth considering—“

“It’s always the talented ones, mistakenly thinking everything will go their way.” All eyes turned to Karma, who had been sticking to the shadows up until now. “Ne, Nagisa. Aren’t you getting a tad full of yourself? Here you are, the most gifted assassin in the E-Class, and you’re suggesting we just quit this assassination?” He started walking up to Nagisa, like a predator stalking up to his prey. “What about the talentless students who’ve still been trying their hardest to kill him? To put it another way, it’s like a hot woman telling a bunch of homely ones they should all quit trying so hard to find boyfriends.”

“That- that’s not what I…” Nagisa bit his lower lip, troubled. “Besides, when it comes to assassination, you’re way better than me.”

“You saying that just ticks me off even more,” scowled Karma. “Isn’t it more like you’re the worst at understanding how the less powerful feel?”

“No! That’s not it! I’m just being honest with my feelings!” protested the blue-haired boy. “Karma-kun, do you hate Korosensei? We saw that movie with him… and had all kinds of fun!”

“That’s just it!” snapped back his friend, finally losing his cool. “That octopus put everything he had into making a fun classroom that _wouldn’t_ turn out lazy losers like you! This classroom couldn’t exist if our bloodlust were blunted! Can’t you see all his hard work! Or do you have little-kid brains to match your body?” Without any warning, he roughly shoved Nagisa. “What is it? Got something to say?” He shoved him again. “How about you say it after beating me in a fight, for once? I’ll gladly take you on—bring it.” He started shoving him repeatedly, making the poor boy stumble back. “Come on. Come on, come on, come on—!”

Also losing his cool, Nagisa grabbed the boy’s outstretched arms and wrapped his legs around his neck, effectively trapping him into a flying triangle choke. Karma’s eyes widened, and he instantly rammed the boy into the ground in an attempt to force him to let go.

“I… am not going half-assed!!!” snapped Nagisa, effectively choking him.

But Karma wasn’t about to be beaten so easily and, once the surprise of the attack passed, he slowly rose back to his feet, fully intending to punch the living daylights out of him. At that point, though, it got too much for the rest of the students to handle, and Maehara and Isogai were quick to interfere. They instantly took hold of Karma in order to hold him back—though they were having a seriously hard time, what with how strong he was—while Sugino simply picked up Nagisa without much difficulty.

“Stop it, you two!”

“What are you trying to prove?”

“Damn it! Chill out already!”

“A junior-high fight? Most excellent!” At once, all eyes fell upon none other than Korosensei, who had suddenly appeared before them… cladded in some sort of military uniform. “But this classroom is based in assassination—shouldn’t you decide things with _these_ , instead?”

He showed off the guns he was holding, and a moment of silence ensued as the rest of the students stared in sheer disbelief. How dare the instigator of the fight actually try to mediate it? And by encouraging the students to go at it with weapons, nonetheless! But, it quickly turned out that Korosensei had a plan—and really, they should have seen it coming.

“Red and blue paintballs?” mused Takebayashi, taking a better look at the two crates before Korosensei.

“Red for those who want to kill me, blue for those who don’t. First, everyone will state his or her position clearly and choose a color,” explained the octopus, smoking a pipe. “Then you’ll do battle here on this mountain. The class will accept the opinion of the winning team. Win or lose, no grudges allowed! What do you say?” No one replied, unsure of what to make of this turn of situation, and he took off his sunglasses. “You know… I’ll respect your decision, my dear students, if you give it your all to reach it. What I’d hate most is for this class to end in discord. If you care about me… just promise me that won’t happen.”

“Well?” Isogai walked up to the crates, before looking at the rest of the students. “What do you think?”

After a moment, every single member of the E-Class nodded in agreement. It was the best course of action, and one that would ensure a fair outcome.

“All right, we’ll settle it with these: kill, or don’t kill.”

Even though it was decided, though, none dared to make the first move. After a few seconds of hesitation, though, someone finally decided to speak up.

“Okay. I guess I’ll choose,” announced plainly Chiba.

“Me too,” nodded Hayami, also stepping forward.

“Working so hard toward that insta-kill shot, I think we’ve come a long way,” explained Chiba, stopping before the crates. “As for who—or what—brought us this far?”

“We don’t want to take our eyes off that target,” completed his fellow sniper. “And so, we want to keep going.”

At once, the two of them grabbed red equipment.

“When I tried to kill Korosensei? I regretted it,” admitted Kayano—she insisted they keep on using that name, since she apparently liked it. “I wanted him to live longer. It must run in the family—my sister must’ve thought the same way. And that’s why I… I want to keep Korosensei safe, too.”

On which she grabbed blue equipment.

“The- the power of science is infinite!” stated Okuda, also grabbing a bottle of blue bullets. “If it can destroy, then surely it can protect, too!”

“Besides, it’s not like there’s no hope at all,” added Takebayashi, joining the blue team. “If we all come together, we can see for ourselves.”

“Us hands-on types see the assassination itself as our graduation project. If Korosensei’s gonna die when time runs out, we’d sooner show him our finest masterpiece,” announced Okajima.

On which he, along with Mimura and Sugaya, joined the red team.

“Korosensei’s the one who told me to be an assassin worthy of the name _Justice._ I’ll take that advice,” added Kimura, also joining the red team.

“I’d like him to keep giving us _more_ advice,” replied Kanzaki, picking up a blue gun.

“The planet’s life or our teacher’s life? You could weigh the two until the cow comes home,” snorted Hazama, swinging a red knife. “Let’s cut the crap and kill him.”

“I want to be true to my own feelings. Isn’t that enough?” sighed Yada, picking up a jar of blue bullets.

“Of course it is!” grinned Maehara, also picking up some blue equipment. He then jabbed his thumb at Isogai. “Me and him, we’re simple guys at heart: we want to save him because we want to save him! Right?”

“Yeah, though I do want to respect everyone else’s opinions,” nodded Isogai, smiling a bit.

“I’m simple, too,” stated plainly Itona, going up to the red crate. “I joined this class to kill him. In coming to kill him, I met you guys. It’s fun, spending our days trying to kill Korosensei. And that’s reason enough for me.”

“Killing Korosensei may be my prime directive, but after many repeated thoughts and actions, I’ve come to recognize that the target’s death would be our greatest loss,” explained Ritsu from Kataoka’s phone. “It’s difficult to determine the correct decision with my current specs. In the spirit of cooperation, I will remain neutral.”

“Wait, didn’t Ame provide you with a body that other time?” recalled Sugino, thinking to a few months back. “What happened to that, anyway?”

“Well, as fun as it was to have my own body, it was only a prototype and, as such, there were still many issues we needed to deal with,” shrugged Ritsu. “Also, I would imagine it’s much like a woman wearing high-heels: after a while, it gets tiring, and there’s always a smidge of discomfort. As such, I won’t use that body unless I truly need to.”

“I _was_ in the Don’t Kill camp, but…” Okano bit her lower lip. “But after hearing everyone’s thoughts, I’m not so sure. Korosensei, killing you doesn’t mean we hate you, right?”

“Of course not, Okano-san,” confirmed calmly Korosensei. “In fact, when I’m being killed is when I feel closest to you all.”

“In that case…” Slowly, she bent over and picked up a jar of red bullets. “Sorry, Nagisa-kun. I think my feelings are closer to these guys’ here.”

Nagisa simply nodded with a small smile, harboring no hard feelings. If anything, he now felt a little bad for pushing so much without realizing that so many other students shared an opposite opinion. Though, that didn’t change his mind and, as such, he went over to join the blue team. At the same time, Karma moved and went to grab the red equipment. The two were still a _little_ pissed about their previous fight, so they didn’t say anything and stubbornly turned their back to each other, each marching over to their respective groups.

Not too long after, every student finally picked a team. It’s only once the last of them picked a team that Ame finally decided to make her move. Stretching her arms a bit, she walked over to the two crates in the middle of the clearing, and many flinched upon seeing her.

“Gah, I forgot she was there!” cursed Okajima.

“Damn, this is going to be difficult if she picks the red team,” sighed Sugino.

“Here’s hoping she won’t suddenly go soft,” grunted Terasaka.

Ame completely ignored all of them, staring at the two crates before her. After a few seconds, she heaved out a sigh.

“As a member of the Zodiac, I like to consider myself a professional—as such, I _always_ complete the missions I am given, bar a few exceptions. And, at the beginning of the year, we were all given this exact mission: kill Korosensei before the end of March of the same year. As such, and as a professional, it would only be natural to keep moving forward and seek to achieve this mission, regardless of one’s personal feelings on the matter.” After half-a-second of stillness, Ame reached out to grab… a jar of blue bullets. “But I believe _this_ mission is one of the few exceptions. Korosensei, you’re the only teacher who ever gave a damn about me, and I consider you one of my precious people. As such, I don’t want to lose you. I’ve learned to fight, to steal, to kill…” She looked down at the blue bullets she was now holding, smiling a tad bitterly. “For once in my life, though, I want to use my abilities to _save_ someone, instead. And… I already have a death weighing on my conscious. If I add more to the body count, I won’t be able to stand it.”

“So you’ve finally learned to care more about yourself,” mused Korosensei, smiling softly. “Good for you, Naoki-san.”

She simply nodded back, before grabbing some more equipment and walking over to join her group. She could feel the somewhat disappointed stare of Rio burning into her back, and the already calculative, wary one of Karma, but she didn’t pay them any mind. Whatever happened during the incoming fight didn’t have anything to do with their friendship, and she could only hope that the outcome wouldn’t put a dent into the bonds the class had built over the year.

* * *

.

.

 **“Steal the other team’s flag or wipe them out to win. I’ll be the referee. I’ll make calls and watch for zombies and other illegal plays from the midpoint. Otherwise, I’ll pretend I don’t know where you’re attacking from, so don’t worry.”** Karasuma paused, and Ame took in a deep breath in order to steady her nerves. **“All right: let the interclass assassination survival game… begin!”**

In the span of a second, the Red Team’s proficient snipers took out Takebayashi and Kataoka, and Ame silently praised Karma’s strategic sense. By eliminating those two right off the bat, he effectively got rid of their most brilliant players and, as such, eliminated the possibility for the team to formulate a proper back-up plan to counter his.

 _Though, while it was a logical move, it was almost completely useless in the big picture,_ Ame mused internally.

::

_“Ame-san, what would you suggest?”_

_“Me?_ You’re _the leader here, Nagisa-kun,”_ Ame replied with a small shrug. _“You’re the Team Leader and, as such, it’s you who has to make the calls here.”_

_“R- right. Still, I don’t think I’m really cut out for that kind of stuff…”_

_“Well, what do you want to do? I mean, I know you want to save Korosensei, but what do you specifically want to do in this impromptu survival game?”_

_“… Win.”_ His eyes hardened a bit. _“I want to beat Karma!”_

Ame simply nodded, smirking a bit. _“Then he’s yours—leave the rest to us.”_

 _“So you_ do _have a plan, Ame-chan,”_ sighed Hara, visibly relieved.

Ame’s smirk turned into a carefree grin. _“Nope! Not a single one, ah ah!”_

 _“Aah!? You’re the one with the experience here! How can you_ not _have a plan!?”_ protested Maehara.

 _“Unfortunately enough, I’m not like Karma—group strategies aren’t my forte. While I’m observant, I couldn’t possible build up a plan that would guarantee us victory by making every single person here work with their natural talents.”_ Her smirk then returned, a tad more vicious than before. _“What I_ am _good at, though, is exploiting weaknesses. So, listen up! I’ll tell you every single thing you ought to be able to exploit to your advantage, but what you decide to do with this information is entirely up to you!”_

 _“Still, shouldn’t we try to coordinate our moves?”_ wondered Takaoka, frowning.

 _“We could, but then we’d be easy targets. The best thing would be to split up in small groups of… let’s say, four people maximum, in order to move quickly and undetected. So, here’s what’s going to happen: I’m going to tell you how I_ think _Karma will work things out on his end, and you’ll then decide what your target is and what you want to do in order to strike it. As it is, a strategy that’s set in stone will be much easier to counter then numerous, individual strategies that aren’t dependent on each other to succeed. Aim for your target, try to surprise them if you can,_ think outside of the box. _That’s the best chance we have at besting Karma’s intellect.”_

* * *

Kanzaki, who had practically become a master at an online war game a few weeks prior, and who was now using all of her knowledge and experience to her advantage, soon took out Okajima and Chiba

::

 _“Hayami and Chiba are the most dangerous, because they can take us out before we can reach them. However, it’d be completely illogical to position them at the exact same place and, considering Hayami has a better sense of balance and physical aptitude than Chiba, she’ll surely take the high-grounds, while Chiba sticks to the ground. In other words,_ he _will be the easiest target out of the two.”_

::

_Thank you for the advice, Ame-san!!!_

The girl cheered internally, already running toward her next target. She was trying her hand for a head-on confrontation. If she moved fast enough and struck down every single person in her path, she could reach the flag and claim victory in a flash. That hope grew steadier as she eliminated Sugaya, and the red flag finally appeared. Just as she was about to try and go for it, though, an arm snaked around her throat and lifted her from the ground, effectively choking her—though not in a lethal way. Karma then landed the killing blow, before releasing her and using his coms to contact the rest of his team.

* * *

Hazama swiftly eliminated Sugino and Fuwa, literally crawling into the dirt and the shadows in order to go unnoticed. Isogai quickly took her out afterward, though, and it didn’t take a genius to understand she had been used as a sacrificial chip.

_Though, how did they know our position? Someone—_

Out of nowhere, none other than Mimura stumbled into the clearing. Yada and Isogai instantly lifted their guns, ready to take him down too, but he quickly raised his hands in surrender.

“Ah, wait! I’ve been eliminated too!” he assured, before turning around and showing off the splatter of blue paint on his back. He then deflated a bit. “No idea who got me, though…”

::

_“You might not have noticed, but Mimura is the perfect scout thanks to his greater sense of observation, which he developed in order to become a film-maker. So, he’ll definitely be sent ahead in order to relay our formations to Karma, and then we’ll just be easy pickings for them. So, the quicker in the game we get rid of him, the better.”_

::

The two surviving members of the Blue Team exchanged an unsure glance, while their fallen opponents left. They had an inkling as to whom had secretly eliminated the orange-haired boy, but something about the splatter of paint on his back… didn’t sit right, to say the least.

 _It could have been none other than Ame-san. She and Nagisa are the only ones in this class talented enough to actually kill someone without being noticed, and Nagisa is already hidden somewhere else, guarding the flag,_ reasoned Isogai, unconsciously scanning the trees around them in the hopes of catching sight of their hidden ally. _Well, whatever she’s doing, it’s obviously working… Keep it up, Ame-san!_

* * *

Kurahashi let out a yelp at, all of sudden, Okano pounced out of the bushes and attacked her head-on. With three swifts moves, her opponent succeeded in striking her with the red-tainted rubber knife, effectively eliminating her. Kayano didn’t even have the time to process that she had just lost her partner—Okano was now attacking _her_.

They exchanged numerous blows, neither of them willing to give up, before Kayano suddenly stumbled off the edge of a small cliff. Too startled to react in time, Okano could only stare in horror as the green-haired girl victoriously brandished her gun as she started falling. Kayano was too far out of reach for Okano to reach her with her knife, meaning she was done for—

“Got you!”

—or so Okano thought, before Kimura suddenly shot Kayano from behind. The green-haired girl fell on the ground, the bitter taste of failure filling her mouth. She hadn’t even succeeded in taking out a single opponent!

“Wish we’d seen this earnest side of you sooner, Kayano,” mused Kimura.

“While you were working hard on your own, we were all polishing up the for-realsies parts of ourselves, too,” added Okano, extending a hand to help her up. “Whatever we end up doing because of this battle, _this_ time we’re all being earnest together.”

At first surprised, Kayano then accepted it. The two girls exchanged a smile, before the Red Team members took off into the wild once again. However, they had barely crossed two meters before two projectiles whizzed passed Kayano’s head, and struck Okano right in the back. Blue paint splattered all over her uniform and she stopped in their tracks, startled. Her eyes widened upon realizing that she just been eliminated.

“W- what!?”

“Shit! That must’ve been Ame!” gasped Kimura, quickly glancing around. No matter how he tried, though, he couldn’t catch a glimpse of her. “Damn it! Gotta run!”

The only reason he hadn’t been eliminated too was that he had been running ahead of Okano, meaning he had been out of her range. However, she moved quickly and silently—meaning there was no telling when she would attack him again. So, he wasted no time in running off into the woods, hoping the high trees would give him some sort of cover, or at least an opening on the black-haired girl. As he ran, though, he spotted a wonderful opportunity.

::

_“Kimura is another you might want to watch out for: he’s the fastest in the class, and he’ll definitely use that for a hit-and-run tactic. However, as fast as he can run, that also means he has less time to decide his every move. If you can get him to panic, he’ll definitely make a rash decision and won’t be able to react in time.”_

::

_That’s Hara! And she’s completely opened!_

If he was going down, he could at least take another person of the Blue Team down with him. So, switching course, he made a beeline for Hara and, without a moment of hesitation, he pounced on her. Just as he was about to shoot her, though, a hidden net suddenly rose from the ground and effectively trapped him.

“A homemade trap I worked on at night. Mama’s mighty!” beamed Hara, rising to her feet.

“The unarmed Hara must have looked like some tasty prey,” teased Maehara, walking up to the trapped boy with his blue-coated knife. “Can’t do a thing now, can you? Though, why were you running as if the Devil himself was on your heels?”

“Ugh, might as well have been…” groaned Kimura, slumping in defeat a Maehara struck him with the rubber knife. “Ame can be pretty damn scary when she wants to be…”

“Ame? Uh, haven’t seen her since we split up,” mused Maehara, glancing around. “She was chasing you? I didn’t see anyone, though. I think you might have been imagining things.”

“Right. She likes playing with people’s expectations,” mused Hara, freeing Kimura from the net with practiced ease. “She probably spooked you and made you run right into our trap, since you believed she was after you.”

“So you’re saying I completely fell for it? Damn…”

* * *

Karma analyzed the covered field ahead of him with a small frown. The two wildcards of the enemy team had yet to actually reveal themselves and, while he knew for a fact that Ame had succeeded in eliminating a few of his subordinates, he had yet to confirm how. She completely blended in with the forest, practically a killer ghost than came and went as she pleased and depleted their numbers little by little… And then there was Nagisa, whom not even Mimura had managed to locate before being taken out of the game.

_Those two are such a pain in the ass to deal with…_

“Nakamura, be wary—Ame’s most definitely aiming for the flag,” warned Karma, silently analyzing the whole situation. “At that point, each team is at fifty-fifty, so we’ll also be making our move toward their flag. Make sure you guard it properly, yeah?”

“Of course,” scoffed the blonde. A somewhat somber look then fell on her face. “I want to win this battle properly and kill Korosensei as a class.”

Karma glanced at her, before nodding in agreement. “Aa. Okay, listen up: Terasaka, Muramatsu, Yoshida, you know the plan. Hayami, Itona, get ready. Hold them back and, if you can, eliminate all of them.”

 **“Roger,”** chorused the rest of his team members.

* * *

Hara, Okuda, and Isogai were all taken out by Hayami before Yada finally managed to shoot her—though she was also eliminated by Itona shortly after. However, in terms of experience with hand-to-hand fights, Maehara was clearly in the lead and, with little effort, he managed to strike down the white-haired boy.

On the other side of the field entirely, though, Karma’s plan suddenly went haywire. As soon as Muramatsu, Yoshida, and Terasaka tried to approach the blue flag, they were all taken out from point-blank range by none other than Nagisa, who finally revealed himself. They had no idea of where he came from, seeing as there had been no one around just a second earlier, but they were now down for the count.

_So he was blending in with Karasuma-sensei? The only one to use Self-Defense Force camo—and he waited for his prey at the perfect sniping point!_

Karma narrowed his eyes at the blue-haired boy, who simply stared back evenly, silently issuing the challenge of picking up with the fight they had started earlier.

_Nakamura and I are the only ones left in the Red Team, while the Blue Team still has Nagisa, Ame, and Maehara. They have the advantage of numbers, and Ame’s unpredictable, but if all three of them decide to coordinate an attack and converge on our flag…_

“Nakamura, protect the flag,” he ordered, getting up. “I’ll go and take care of Nagisa. If they team up, we’ll definitely lose. Keep an eye out for Ame.”

“Got it.”

On which the leader of the Red Team started making his way toward the open field where Nagisa was standing, while Rio stood back, carefully analyzing her surroundings—

“Ame isn’t the only one you should be looking out for!!!”

Maehara pounced out of the bushes, aiming directly for Karma’s back. Just as he reached the red-haired boy, though, Karma spun around his own knife and rammed it into his opponent’s helmet, easily taking him out. Rio couldn’t help but grin at that.

“And _that_ is why he told me to look out for Ame only,” she taunted. “Because _she_ wouldn’t be stupid enough to reveal her position before striking.”

“Ugh…”

Karma went ahead to confront Nagisa and, as much as Rio wanted to watch the fight, she still had her own opponent to look out for. Karma had decided to specifically set her up with Ame, hoping their friendship would at least slow her down a bit, but Rio knew Ame better—in a fight like this one, there wasn’t any place for hesitation, and Ame wouldn’t hold back.

_That being said, if she beats me here, she won’t grab the flag right away—she’ll wait to see the outcome of the fight between Karma and Nagisa. If Nagisa wins, then she won’t do a thing. If Karma wins, then she’ll wait for him to come back in order to confront him head-on too._

_Because, at that point in the game, the Red Team wouldn’t accept a half-assed victory. She can’t go at it in a roundabout way like she’s used to._

“Quite bold of you, to stand out in the open like that.”

Rio smirked a bit at that. “Uh. And here I thought you weren’t dumb enough to reveal your position before striking.”

Ame smirked bad, silently sliding down the slope before landing a few meters away from her. She didn’t seem bothered in the least by the ongoing fight in her back, seemingly confident in Nagisa’s ability to win, and Rio clenched her fists a bit.

“I suppose you’re not willing to talk this out?” mused Ame, twirling a rubber knife in her hand.

Rio’s eyes hardened at that. “You can’t change my mind with your pretty words, Ame. I know you like getting into everyone’s head, but I won’t be manipulated so easily!”

At that, Ame’s smirk vanished, and she offered a stern stare. “No manipulation, no tricks, no traps. No running away, either. I promise.”

Ame was a lot of things, and an occasional liar was amongst those things, but she wouldn’t consciously break a promise if she could help it, even to prove a point. If she made that promise now, then Rio could trust in that—though she couldn’t trust in Ame, either.

She’d be an idiot if she did that.

“Then, let’s get to it,” urged Rio, taking a defensive stance with her own knife. “I’ll beat you, Ame! And then we can all finish this assassination—together!”

Ame’s eyes widened a bit as she finally took notice of the sheer, raw determination brimming in her friend’s eyes—and, if she looked hard enough, she could see frustrated, almost desperate tears. As much as Rio tried to act like a delinquent who did dumb stuff for the sake of it, she was probably the most earnest person Ame would ever meet, and she only now realized how much this assassination actually meant to her.

 _No, not the assassination—this class,_ thought Ame, taking her own stance. _She thinks that, if we give up on the assassination, then all of the bonds we’ve created will vanish along with it._

As she was, though, Rio wouldn’t listen to what she had to say on the matter, and Ame internally cursed herself as the blonde attempted to strike first. Her friend was visibly hurting, but she hadn’t noticed up until now, too caught up in her own troubles. Once again, Ame had failed to see beyond herself, had failed to understand how Rio felt, and it brought them to where they were now: a girl who believed she’d lose everything if she lost now, and another one who was once again acting on selfish intentions—who just wanted to make herself believe that she was a good person, just by saving _one_ life amongst so many others.

 _And by acting so selfishly, I’ve completely discarded Rio’s feelings, believing her to be foolish and childish… when, in reality,_ she _is the one fighting to actually save this class as a whole._

“Head in the game, Ame!”

Too distracted by her sudden realization, Ame didn’t see the next blow coming, and she took a rough blow to the guts. Stumbling back, she barely managed to avoid the blonde’s knife, hunching over and ramming her elbow into her opponent’s side.

 _But still… I can’t lose here… I don’t_ want _to lose here…_

_I want… I want to save Korosensei, no matter how selfish it might be!_

Having regained a more regular breathing pace, Ame pounced once again on Rio, this time taking the offensive. She was used to much stronger and more experienced opponents, and it wasn’t hard to target all of the openings Rio left for her.

_There!_

Rio’s center was wide open. She instantly aimed to hit there with her knife but, just before the blue-tainted rubber could reach its target, Rio grabbed Ame’s arm kicked her legs, effectively making her lose her balance. Using all of her weight to make her topple, Rio spun Ame around using her hold on the girl’s arm, effectively slamming her into the ground face first. Ame’s helmet flew off as Rio rammed a knee into her back, locking her into place and knocking the knife out of her hand while she was at it.

“The- the hell was that?” groaned Ame, her head spinning a bit.

She was lying flat on her stomach, her right arm held tightly in her back, and high enough to break the moment she tried to free herself. With Rio’s knee pressing into her, she couldn’t move her legs, either. Tilting her head back, she locked gazes with the blonde, who was now holding her red-tainted knife above her.

There were still tears in her eyes, though.

“I- I beat you, Ame,” she choked out, her hand trembling a bit as she lifted her knife. “I win…!”

And she brought down her knife. At the exact same moment, though, a gunshot echoed… and red and blue paint mingled together as a heavy silence followed. Rio could only gawk as she only now noticed the gun Ame was holding in her left hand, and with which she had just fired, effectively hitting her friend right in the heart.

“You- you used a gun…?”

“W- well, I knew no one would expect it,” grunted Ame, heaving out a sigh of relief as Rio finally released her. “Though, _you_ used a move I totally didn’t expect.”

“Karma- Karma taught me, just before the game started… He knew it was the best way to take you off guard, since we’re so used to fighting each other…”

There was a moment of silence as the two of them sat on the ground, mulling over everything that had just happened. After a few seconds, though, the pressure became too much for Rio, and she turned a teary-eyed gaze at the black-haired girl beside her.

“Ame, I’m sorry—“

“Don’t be.” Without hesitation, Ame wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders, and she gently pressed their heads together, smiling lightly. “You fought well, Rio.”

“… you too, Ame.”

They stayed like this for a short while, regaining their breath and taking a moment to simply calm down and properly think things over. In the end, they were just glad that they managed to understand each other, even if they had to come to blows for it.

In Rio, Ame saw the determination to protect the bond the E-Class shared.

In Ame, Rio saw the need to become a better person.

In the end, they understood each other, and it was all that mattered at that point.

“Come on, we should go and see the end of the duel,” then urged Ame, pulling away in order to get back up. She hissed as pain shot through her arm. “Ugh, you really did a number on me with that move…”

“Well, that’ll teach you to get complacent, won’t it?” teased Rio, linking her arm with the girl’s uninjured one. 

Ame snorted at that. “Fair enough.”

They started heading in direction of the field where Nagisa and Karma were still duking it out, while the rest of the class watched with rapt attention. Most of them probably hadn’t noticed that Rio and Ame had been fighting, but the girls really couldn’t blame them—the fight between the two boys had been a long time coming, and was the result of years-long, unspoken rivalry. 

“Good job, Ame-san, Nakamura-san,” greeted quietly Isogai as they joined the group.

“Thanks. What did we miss?” asked Rio, looking over at the two.

Before Isogai could answer, though, the fight suddenly took an unexpected turn. Using hand-to-hand combat, Karma’s expertise, Nagisa managed to trap the red-haired boy in a triangle chokehold. Most students gasped when they saw Karma somehow managing to get his hands on his red-tainted knife but, just as he was about to bring it down on Nagisa’s unknowing back… he stopped. Then, a wry smile graced his lips as he dropped the knife and gave up.

_In the end, I guess Nagisa managed to get through to him._

That being said, Nagisa was too caught up in the fight to realize Karma had just given up, and Karasuma was forced to interfere.

“That’s enough! Due to the Red Team’s surrender, the Blue Team—the _Don’t Kill_ team—has won!” announced loudly the man.

“YATTA!”

All of the students sporting the winning color started cheering loudly, while the others simply heaved out sighs of defeat, though none of them really seemed to mind. In the end, the game had managed to make most of them change their mind about the situation, something for which Ame was quite glad—and she was all the happier when Karma extended his hand to Nagisa, helping him back to his feet.

“No hard feelings, uh?” she mused.

“No hard feelings,” confirmed Rio, sparing her a smile.

Ame could only smile back, glad they were on the same page. Afterward, well, the two teams got mixed up together as the students shared their thoughts and impressions about the experience they had just gone through. In the end, their conflict had been the best way to deepen their bond, and something told Ame that she wasn’t the only one who had been worried about the social aftermath of the battle.

“I’m sure you all have your own thoughts on this, and I have no objection to the course the class has chosen,” then announced Karasuma, effectively earning everyone’s attention. “However, there’s one condition on your search for a way to save him: you have until the end of the month. Though you might be taking a break from assassination, there are plenty of other efforts underway to take this guy down. If someone’s going to kill him, it can’t be anyone else. I want it to be you. So, promise me that no matter how January turns out, February and beyond will be spent giving your all to assassination. Whether you save him or kill him… give it your all.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Naoki,” he then called out, turning to her. “I understand your stance as an info-broker, but _please_ refrain from doing anything _too_ illegal—the government won’t take kindly to a criminal breaking into their records in order to save a potentially world-destroying creature.”

“… Does it count as going against your instructions if I did it _before_ you told me all that?”

Karasuma sighed loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose. He really should have expected Naoki Ame to already be neck-deep into illegal territory, what with her secret background. Still, he had been hoping for some kind of restraint, at least. On one hand, she obviously trusted him enough not to betray her and sell her out to the government he was working for but, on the other hand… _what the hell was he supposed to tell his boss?_

“Wait, Ame! You already have a plan!?” gasped Rio, her eyes going wide.

“Well, not a _plan,_ per se,” admitted Ame, scratching the back of her head. She then looked over at Takebayashi, much to everyone’s surprise. “I was actually discussing the matter with Takebayashi earlier, and I’ve realized that we both came to the same conclusion.”

“Which would be?” asked impatiently Terasaka.

Takebayashi pushed up his glasses, clearing his throat. “Are the world’s leaders really _only_ thinking about killing Korosensei? Neither of us thinks so. After all, their original goal is to save Earth. Along with their research on killing him, they must be doing research that doesn’t involve killing him, too.”

“In other words, there is the possibility that the world’s leaders are also looking into the creation of a serum, for example, or a way to contain or entirely stop the explosion,” explained Ame, crossing her arms over her chest.

“It’s true: the world’s top science facilities have formed project teams focused on saving the planet,” confirmed Karasuma with a firm nod. “Of course, that information is all top-secret. It would be tough for you to find out what they’re studying.”

“Tough, but not impossible,” countered Ame, pulling out her phone. She started typing something as she pursued with her explanation. “Takebayashi shared his theory with me earlier in hopes that, with my contacts, I might be able to confirm the existence of such a research, along with its contents. As it was, we were all rather busy with the whole ‘ _Kill or Don’t Kill’_ debate, so I asked one of my colleagues to look into it. Of course, he couldn’t possibly break through all of the firewalls and systems protecting the information, so Ritsu helped him out while we were fighting. And, apparently, they found something.”

“Thanks to the experience I’ve gained from working so closely with Ame and the Zodiac, I can now easily get into just about any online PC,” stated cheerfully Ritsu, appearing on the screen of Ame’s phone, which she now held up for everyone to see. “I’ve learned so much, this year! Here, take a look!”

Karasuma started rubbing his temples as the students crowded around Ame in order to get a better look at the data now displayed on her phone. Not only Ame, but Ritsu too?

_I’m getting too good at covering for criminals…_

“Wow! We can see what labs around the world are researching, and on what schedule!” gasped Maehara, awestruck.

“However, there are no online traces of the data we’re looking for,” then admitted Ritsu.

“I guess the top-secret stuff is only passed around in person,” sighed Isogai.

“Well, is anyone doing research on how to save Korosensei, then?” asked Kimura.

“As a matter of fact, there is,” grinned Ame, tapping the top right corner of her phone. “Take a good look at this!”

“Ah! An American research team!” exclaimed Fuwa, leaning closer to the screen. She started reading. “ _Preventing destructive antimatter chain reactions due to tentacle-cell aging and fission. Final samples to be returned from ISS on 1/25…_?”

“ISS…?” echoed Kayano, tilting her head. “Does that mean…”

“The- the International Space Station!?” gasped Mimura. “ _That’s_ where they’re doing their research!?”

“It- it could be!” assured Okuda. “Lots of research has to be done in zero-gravity or in a vacuum, and if there’s any chance an experiment could cause a huge explosion, there’d be less damage in outer space!”

“Which is why Ritsu couldn’t get her hands on the information we need—because it’s up there, way out of anyone’s reach,” confirmed Ame, having already read through the debriefing Usagi had sent her earlier.

Isogai bit his lower lip as he thought it over. “If only there was a way to get this data…”

“Unfortunately, you’re just one tiny, distant outpost of assassins,” then remarked Karasuma, crossing his arms over his chest. “Depending on the circumstances, that data may never come to you—“

“Which is why _we_ will go to it,” cut off Ame, now grinning from ear to ear. She started typing again on her phone. “Karasuma-sensei, you _might_ want to at least cover your ears if you don’t want to be officially recognized as an accomplice, because what’s to come is most definitely, highly, in all senses of the term, _illegal._ And Bitch-sensei too, if you don’t want to deal with liability issues.”

“Naoki, you can’t—“

“Karasuma-sensei…” All eyes turned to Karma. “No matter what happens, we won’t quit this assassination. But, we don’t want to be lukewarm about it. If there’s a way to save him, we will. And if not… we’ve decided to handle that, too. Right, Nagisa?”

“Right,” nodded firmly the blue-haired boy. “After all, it’s our class’s critical goal.”

“So, I want to know for sure, right now—so we can stick with our assassination ‘til we graduate,” concluded Karma, before sharing a knowing smirk with Ame. “If Ame says there’s a way for us to get that info, then I’m ready to do whatever it takes to get it—and I’m pretty sure I speak on behalf of all of the students here.”

“… very well.” Karasuma sighed again, giving in. “We will leave you to it, then. But Naoki, be warned: I _will_ be keeping a closer eye on you from here on out.” His eye twitched a bit as memories of all of her past infractions came back to mind. “I won’t sell you out, but there’s a limit to the number of laws I’m willing to let you break.”

Ame couldn’t help but laugh at that. “As if you could actually stop me! But, well, I suppose it’s only fair to let you try. Now, why don’t go and take Bitch-sensei on a date?”

The poor man looked like he was about to try and strangle his student but, before he could make a move, Irina grabbed his collar and started dragging him away. Ame waved cheerfully their way, before reporting her attention on Korosensei, now serious.

“Since you’re apparently aware of what I’m going to suggest, why don’t do the honors yourself?”

“Ah, I see no problem with that,” nodded Korosensei, before glancing at the students. “Before that, though, how about you all go get changed, and then we can discuss this matter in the classroom?” He then turned to a pale shade of purple. “Because… well, frankly, you all stink.”

The students all cringed at that, only now noticing the smell that had started to gather all over their little group, and chorused their agreement, before heading back inside.

* * *

.

.

A few minutes later, everyone was back in the classroom and sitting at their desks, with Korosensei at the front.

“Very well. Here’s what you’re trying to do: sneak a peek at the data before it reaches America on its way back from space,” summarized the octopus. He then showed them a laptop, on which was displayed the picture of a… rocket ship? “Conveniently enough, as Naoki-san uncovered, they’re about to launch this baby up to the ISS!”

“A manned rocket?” recognized Itona, somewhat confused.

“Yes—a proof-of-concept craft being developed here in Japan. It’s supposed to carry an experimental dummy, but—“

“But what if there were _real_ people in it instead?” cut off Ame, smirking lazily.

“Gah! You completely stole my thunder!!!” instantly accused Korosensei.

“What!?”

“You- you can’t mean—“

“No way!”

“Ah! That Ame is crazy is already common knowledge at that point, but it looks like our teacher’s not completely right in the head, either,” snorted Karma, leaning back into his seat.

“Oh, bite me,” huffed Ame, blowing a raspberry his way.

“Yes!” exclaimed Korosensei, practically shaking with excitement. “An out-of-season research project for our assassination classroom: hijack the space station and steal their experiment data!!!”

“No way…” sweatdropped Nagisa.

Ame’s smirk simply widened, if possible. “ _Yes_ way.”


	36. Thirty-Sixth Period: Outer Space Time

To say the students of the E-Class had never undergone such an advanced research project would be an understatement—there was a distinct difference between planning the infiltration of the Citadel, which didn’t officially exit on any maps, and the infiltration of the ISS, a top-secret scientific building owned by the government.

“ _The reentry capsule carrying the research data will splash down in the Pacific Ocean. The capsule will be transported to the lab unopened, to prevent unlikely theft of the same by the target super-creature,_ ” Korosensei read outloud. “Very clever precautions indeed. I can’t carry anything too heavy. Use a five-ton capsule as a safe and there’s no way I can steal it.”

“That’s why we get them to show us while it’s still in space,” understood Okano, nodding. “But does Japan really have the technology to launch a manned rocket?”

“Their technology is reliable enough for that, anyway,” confirmed the octopus. “My influence might have moved things along.”

 _We’re doing good time,_ mused internally Ame, looking over the blueprints Korosensei had provided them. _Everyone’s giving their all to this plan, no matter how absolutely crazy it might be. At the pace things are going, we’ll definitely be ready for the launch of the rocket—and with time to spare, at that!_

Everyone seemed to share the same kind of thoughts, because they were all in high spirits, and many were practically bouncing in their seats as everyone returned to their respective desks, while Isogai went to stand at the front of the classroom. Once he had the attention of all the students, he decided to speak up.

“Our plans are in place,” he announced, also eager to move forward. “Now, to put them into action: the rocket will only hold two people. Who wants to go?”

“ME!”

Over half of the class raised their hands, instantly volunteering for the mission, and it didn’t take long for Ame to notice that she was the only girl with her hand raised.

“Aah, you just can’t stay still, can you?” teased Rio, a tad exasperated. “With you, it’s always out of the pan and into the fire—can’t you go a single day without trying to put your life in danger?”

“Rio, I’m offered the opportunity to _go into space—_ screw danger, you can bet your ass that I want to go!” replied hotly her friend, her eyes sparkling slightly. “This is an international research facility, Rio! Can you imagine just how much info I could gather for the Zodiac?”

“Ah, of course,” sweatdropped the blonde.

“Keep in mind that this is an experimental vessel with no successful flights yet,” then pointed out Korosensei. “Who _still_ wants to go!?”

Ame once again thrust her hand in the air, as if aiming to reach the ceiling, while many of the boys who had been previously interested slowly lowered their hands. Then again, there were actual risks involved in that mission and, as fantastic and unique the experience would be, there was absolutely no guarantee that whoever went in the rocket would actually make it out.

“I still want to go,” then announced Itona, unperturbed. “A rocket would make any mech-head’s mouth water. But, I’ll give up my seat this time—looks like Ame _really_ wants to go.”

“I do, I do!” she confirmed, grinning from ear to ear.

“Well, it _was_ her idea,” grunted Terasaka, leaning back into his seat. “Hers and Takebayashi. You interested in going?”

The bespectacled boy simply shook his head. “Not particularly, no. As amazing as it would be, I quite like having my two feet safely connected to firm ground.”

“Well, if Ame’s going, then we need someone with a cool head on their shoulders to keep her in check,” then pointed out Fuwa, flashing a smirk at the black-haired girl. “The last thing we want is for her to provoke an international conflict, right?”

“Aah? I might do dumb stuff from time to time, but I’m not _that_ stupid,” huffed Ame. “If I wanted to start an international conflict, I wouldn’t be dumb enough to get caught doing it.”

 _I don’t know what’s scarier—her answer, or the fact that she’s right,_ sighed internally Nagisa, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

“Well, if we’re in need of someone coolheaded, then Isogai-kun’s the right choice, isn’t it?” then remarked Rio, instantly jumping on the opportunity.

Maehara was quick to ally with her. “Oh, right! The class representative with the high-level charisma and the spy prodigy with the necessary skills to make it through without a hitch—practically a match made in heaven, right?”

“Ame’s quick to take risks, and Isogai’s reliable enough to pull through if those gambles turn against them,” mused Karma, definitely on board with the secret matchmaking schemes. “It ought to work out well enough—that is, if our class rep is willing to go…?”

“W- well, if everyone’s alright with it? Itona?”

The boy merely nodded, not minding giving up his seat—if he had anything to say about it, he’d definitely have another opportunity like that one in the future. Noticing the eager and encouraging grins of their friends, Isogai ended up giving in, offering a small smile in Ame’s direction, which she was quick to return.

“Well, it’s decided, then—Ame-san and I will be the ones going into the rocket,” he concluded, straightening up.

“And that’s that!” cheered Korosensei.

_I’m going to space! Hana and Usagi are going to have an aneurysm once they hear about this!_

_… right, no telling them ‘til I’m inside the rocket, else they’ll find a way to stop me from going._

* * *

_Cape Shimazu Space Center_

_._

_._

The class had split up into two groups: one that would buy their way inside the facility as a group on a field trip, and the other doing the actual infiltration. The later group was composed of merely five people: Ame, Isogai, Kurahashi, Yada, and Kimura. With startling ease, they managed to bypass the electrified fence and sneak inside.

Ame and Isogai went through the underground conducts, while Kurahashi and Yada snuck inside the facility dressed as civilians. Their mission was to find the launch room and act as a distraction in order to allow Kimura to sneak inside and plug a USB key—which would then give Ritsu full access and control to all of the computers and systems of the facility.

Trekking through the underground conducts was a silent affair, until Ame and Isogai reached an open section. They waited for a minute or so, well aware that they couldn’t possibly just rush ahead when so much was at stake—if they were caught, there was no telling what the consequences would be. So, biding their time, they finally received word of the infiltration’s team success.

 **“Security analysis complete! I’ve placed a remote-control virus on the control-room computer. Now, the control center and its system will act on my command!”** announced Ritsu.

“Good job, guys,” grinned Ame. “I daresay we got through the most difficult obstacle. Now, it’s only a matter of reaching the rocket in time!”

“That being said, we’re currently stuck,” admitted Isogai, looking ahead at the open field. “A part of our entry route is aboveground. Is there anything we should look out for?”

**“Roger. Checking your current position… Done! I’ll turn off the corresponding camera for ten seconds!”**

“Roger.”

**“Three… Two… One… Zero!”**

At once, the two students sprung forward, running right out in the open to the other side of the underground conducts, and Ame couldn’t help but marvel a bit at what she had just done. At the beginning of the year, there was absolutely no way that she would have trusted a fellow student so blindingly, even if she _was_ a program.

_I’ve really changed a lot in a single year, haven’t I…?_

They kept on running through the underground conducts, quickly making their way to the launching area. Following Ritsu’s thorough instructions and warnings, the two of them managed to safely make their way to the rocket. Taking the elevator, they then wasted no time in running up the fifty-meter staircase that separated them from the hatch.

When they arrived at last, though, it was only to find their teacher dressed up like a cheap ninja.

“Korosensei!” greeted Isogai, reaching him first.

“Niryufufufu! Inspection? Perfection!” he assured.

“Any accident would be a liability issue, uh?” mused Ame, looking up at the admittedly huge rocket before them.

“Stop saying such scary things so casually!” snapped her teacher.

**“I’m relaying recorded footage of the dummies to the control room. If you swap them out now, you won’t get caught!”**

“Alright, let’s do this!” grinned Ame, before extending her fist to her partner in crime. “Let’s find what we’re looking for and save Korosensei, Isogai-kun!”

At first surprised by the genuinely earnest expression, the boy then smiled back, lightly knocking his fist against hers.

“Right!”

* * *

.

.

Ame was febrile as the countdown echoed all around them. Dressed up in the suits the dummies had been previously wearing, Isogai and her had been waiting for a few minutes, now, using small talk to try and soothe their nerves. No matter how determined they were to get that information, there was no ignoring the risks they were taking, and the very serious possibility that the rocket might blow up before they reached the outer space. So, small talk helped them take their minds off off everything—but their nervousness was quick to return as the announcement of the incoming launch was given.

**“—20, 19, 18, 17, 16—“**

_Hana is going to kill me, Hana is going to kill me, Hana is going to kill me…_

“A- Ame-san?” hesitantly called out Isogai.

**“—13, 12, 11, 10—“**

“This is both thrilling and terrifying,” she choked out, glancing at him. “What is it?”

**“—8, 7, 6, 5—“**

“We- we’re going to be fine, right?”

Surprised, she then grinned. “Of course.”

**“—3, 2, 1.”**

The rocket started shaking violently as the engines were finally ignited to full power but, in that very moment, Isogai managed to forget about all of his worries—Ame’s smile didn’t flinch, didn’t strain. If anything, it _widened,_ and the sight… the sight rendered his mind _blank._

**“Liftoff!”**

They finally took off in a raging blast, leaving the ground and aiming straight for outer space. Despite the risks, Ame simply couldn’t stop smiling, well aware that _this_ was the kind of thing she’d never get to experience again—

_“Nyuu! It’s fast, all right!”_

“Wha—why did _you_ tag along, you crazy octopus!?” snapped Ame.

 _“Well, you know, I worry,”_ replied the octopus, his voice echoing through the wall. _“Don’t be overly concerned about getting that data on me. You’re on a journey through space—enjoy it!”_

Surprised, Ame then laughed. “Of course we’re going to enjoy it! But, no matter what, we’ll _also_ find that data—because in our eyes, you’re more important than any kind of teaching material you share with us.”

“As wonderful as the experiences you’ve given us were, and though we’ve truly learned a lot from them, _you_ are the reason we’ve all grown so much in the last year,” added Isogai, relaxing a bit. “So, we’ll find that data and save you! You can count on it!”

_“… I know. And I’m grateful—ghaaa!”_

There was a moment of silence, before Ame shot a flat look at Isogai. “He fell off the rocket, didn’t he?”

Isogai simply chuckled. “Most probably—we _are_ going at Mach 23, after all. This might very well be the only time in our lives when we’re faster than him.”

Ame’s grin could only return at the thought.

* * *

.

.

**“Rendezvous complete. Commence HTV catch.”**

**“Roger.”**

**“Mechanical arm: operation verified. Three more meters. Two meters. One meter.”**

**“HTV catch complete. Commence gripping.”** A moment of silence. **“Demonstration ship: grip complete.”**

‘THUD’

**“Docking complete.”**

**“Shield interface: all green. Air pressure: normal. Permission granted to open hatch. Welcome to the space station.”**

Ame tensed up a bit as the hatch was finally opened. Momentarily blinded by the light, she then froze as a shadow made its way through.

“ _Uh? Where’s the dummy_?” exclaimed the man in English, confused.

Exchanging a nod with Isogai, she then moved forward and grabbed the man’s left arm, while he grabbed the right one. Stringing him along downward, his startled exclamation was quick to alert his fellow crewmates, and Isogai didn’t waste any time in “taking him hostage”. By the time the other two men appeared, their friend was trapped in a harmless chokehold by Isogai, who was holding a rubber knife to his throat, while Ame also held a knife and an orange box on which was written a single word: “ _BOMB_ ”.

 _“Hi!”_ she greeted, a tad too cheerfully for someone who was an inch away from committing an act of terrorism.

“Oh, Mizui-san, isn’t it? I’ve seen you on TV before,” mused Isogai, glancing at the man he was holding hostage. “I was quite impressed. It truly is an honor to meet you!”

 _“Why- why are there kids in here instead of the dummies!?”_ gasped a bald man.

“I have terminated the com-link with Earth!” suddenly announced Ritsu, who appeared on the screen of a floating phone.

“Thanks, Ritsu!” Her grin widening, Ame then reported her attention to the crewmembers. _“Hello! As you’ve surely noticed by now, we’re in possession of a bomb. That being said, we’d like to do this peacefully. Why don’t you go back in the station so we can talk things out?”_

::

_“You want to what?”_

_“Take over the facility,”_ repeated Ame, shrugging a bit. _“I doubt they’ll actually listen to us unless we use a show of force, and I don’t know about you, but fighting in a zero-gravity environment isn’t exactly my preferred option.”_

Isogai sweatdropped as he glanced at the fake bomb she was now holding. _“So you want to make them believe we’re actually terrorists?”_

_“Well, just so they’ll listen. Once we’ve explained everything, I’m sure they’ll be willing to help us out… Or at least, I hope so. It’s a rational deceit!”_

_“Well, I, too, would prefer for things not to get out of hand… Alright, we’ll go with your idea. If things go wrong, though—“_

_“Then blame Karma. It was actually his idea.”_

Isogai simply sighed, shaking his head. _“Why am I not surprised?”_

::

Everyone slowly exited the capsule, with the five free crewmembers of the facility gathering on one side of the hallway, while Isogai and Ame floated in front of them, with that Mizui fellow still trapped in Isogai’s grasp, while Ame explained everything.

_“—and that’s basically why we’re here. So, please, allow us to copy the American team’s data. I can assure you that we won’t make any other demands.”_

“Ame-san,” then called out Isogai, keeping a careful eye on the men before them. “They’ve calmed down rather quickly… I don’t think this is working.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” she sweatdropped, before switching back to English. _“You’re not intimidated in the least, are you?”_

At last, the unreadable expressions shifted into either amused smirks, or annoyed scowls. The apparent leader of the group, the bald American man, started clapping.

“First, let me give you two daring kids a hand. Bravo,” he replied in slightly accentuated Japanese. “But, are you _really_ going to take on the six of us—soldiers included? A bomb doesn’t scare us— _because we’ve been running experiments here, not knowing when this is all gonna blow up and kill us all.”_ After a few tensed seconds of silence, he smiled. “Enough pointless conflict. This is no place to fight. We’ll talk, so please, let him go.”

The two students exchanged a glance, before Ame nodded lightly. Nodding back, Isogai then released Mizui. For a man who had been taken hostage, he didn’t look scared or even worried in the least, and he calmly returned to his companions’ sides.

“Even if you _do_ steal the data, how are you going to get home?” he then asked. “Are you going to ask us for help while you hijack us?”

“Don’t worry about that, we’ve already planned the most optimal return route,” assured Ame, shrugging lightly. “All of our classmates worked their butts off in order to work out to the perfection the return orbital calculations.”

“And our teacher can do any fine-tuning by pushing us midair,” added Isogai, relaxing a bit now that they were willing to discuss.

 _“This is way too reckless!”_ instantly protested the only Afro-American man on the crew. 

“Maybe you’re just young, but aren’t you taking your lives too lightly?” added a blonde-haired man, whose French accent was piercing through his tentative Japanese.

Surprised, Ame and Isogai once again exchanged a glance… before the black-haired girl burst in laughter, while the boy chuckled. It took Ame a few seconds to get over her sudden laughing fit but, once she did, she offered all of the men a carefree grin.

“We’re students who have been trained to become the perfect assassins in order to kill their teacher. This year, our lives have been on the line more times than I care to remember,” she admitted, wiping a tear away.

“We’re not taking our lives too lightly—far from it. If anything, the experiences we lived through in the past year have made us learn to value it more,” assured Isogai, determined.

“We’ve learned and grown thanks to the teacher we’re now trying to save,” added Ame, calming down. “That’s why we’re trying to hard to secure a future for him—a future that we’re all determined to share with him.”

“… It seems you have genuine faith in your target’s plan,” finally relented the bald leader. “All right. I’ll take it upon myself to accept the hijackers’ demands.” He turned to one of his crewmates. _“Prepare the data.”_

_“For- for real!?”_

“But first, help us offload supplies,” he then added, looking over at the teens. “We’ll put you to work and get you out of here already.”

Startled, Ame then cheered, pumping her fist in the air. “Yes!”

_We did it!_

* * *

The “bomb” was carefully tucked away, the knives were sheathed back, and Ritsu even relayed their classmates’ reactions upon learning that the American team had agreed to help them out. After what, Ame and Isogai were put to work though, frankly, the girl had an inkling that the researchers were mostly trying to give them the experience of a lifetime. All previous grievances forgotten, and with their primary goal achieved, the two students were now free to truly enjoy this unique journey.

“Here, catch!”

“Got it!”

However, Ame still wasn’t entirely used to the zero gravity environment, and catching the box thrown in her direction was a lot harder than expected.

“Oof!”

With nothing to keep her steady, she caught the box, but it knocked the air out of her lungs for half-a-second, and she was literally thrown backward. She made a few flips, which rendered her a bit dizzy. Just as she thought she’d meet the wall headfirst, though, she hit something warm and a lot softer than a sturdy wall.

“Uh?”

“Are you alright, Ame-san?”

She looked up, only to find Isogai staring down at her with concern, and she only then realized that she had run into him. Still a tad dizzy, it also took her a few seconds to notice that her head had knocked against the top of his chest, meaning their faces were only a few inches apart—close enough that, if he leaned down—

Flushing, she quickly righted herself.

“Y- yeah, I’m fine! Sorry about that!”

_Damn it, why do I always get this flustered whenever he gets so close!?_

_And seriously, WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST THINK!?_

They helped offload all of the supplies that the rocket had carried all the way up there. They tried out the space rations, messed around with the zero-gravity environment, and Ame even found the opportunity to subtly sneak away and plug in a special virus into the whole facility’s system—as soon as they returned to Earth, it’d grant access to Usagi, and the Zodiac would now have yet another minefield of top-secret information.

The best, however, was most definitely the view. Once they had nothing better to do than wait, Ame found her way to one of the windows on the other side of the station, which had a direct view on the Earth. The sight was thrilling, mesmerizing, and strangely soothing. Seeing the entire world from so far up made her feel entirely untouchable, unreachable, and the thought was… strangely comforting.

_Who knows? Maybe I ought to give up everything and become an astronaut…_

But of course, she wasn’t serious. She had two families who cared about her, and wonderful friends who would surely miss her. And, as amazing as being in space was, she doubted she’d be able to take this otherworldly peace for more than a week, tops.

_I’m too used to the action, aren’t I? My routine became filled with surprises, shocks, and adrenaline-inducing adventures…_

Unbeknownst to her, she was no longer alone in the hold. Upon finishing with his own tasks, Isogai had decided to join her so they could enjoy the view together but, as soon as he arrived, he found himself stopping in the entrance. Ame was gazing outside, relaxed, smiling softly without really noticing it—seeing her completely unguarded was a very rare sight, and the only thing that came to his mind as he watched her—

“Quite pretty, isn’t she?” Isogai startled as a hand fell on his shoulder, and he looked up to find Jeremiah, the bald team leader. “You’ve found yourself a good match. Cute, smart, and obviously your brand of crazy, seeing as she came up here with you.”

“We’re not—it’s not like that!” instantly assured the boy, flustered. He spared a glance for Ame, relieved to see that they were too far for her to notice or hear them. “And- an anyway, _she’s_ the one who volunteered to come up here…”

The man snorted at that, patting his shoulder. “You wouldn’t follow just about any girl into _space,_ kiddo. Plus, I’ve seen the way you were looking at her.”

“I- I wasn’t—“

“Oh, Isogai-kun!” His sudden exclamation had snapped her out of her thoughts, and she beamed when seeing him. “And Jeremiah-san! Finished with your work?”

“Aah. The data’s just about ready, if you still want it,” replied the man, half-teasingly.

“Great! Come on, Isogai-kun!”

Pushing herself away from the window, she floated past the two of them, and grabbed the boy’s hand on the way, effectively dragging him along. Isogai instantly spluttered out an incoherent answer, too startled by the sudden contact for his mind to work properly. The girl didn’t notice, though, simply assuming he had reacted this way because she had started pulling him along so suddenly, which made her laugh.

Watching them go, Jeremiah sighed amusedly, shaking his head. _“Ah, young love…”_

They reached the control room, where all of the data they required was currently being downloaded. By the time they arrived, Ame had already released Isogai in order to get ahead, and the boy had used that opportunity to calm down and gather his thoughts for a bit. He had been honestly taken aback by Jeremiah’s remarks though, the more he thought about it, and the less he could actually deny it.

_Ame-san is—_

“That’s all of the lab data on preventing that super-creature from exploding,” explained Martin, the French guy.

“No signs of falsification,” assured Ritsu, still on the phone into which was being downloaded everything. “I can confirm it’s the full data from the experiment in question. I’ll just grab a copy. There, done!”

“Great!” Ame unplugged the phone, before turning to her partner. “Now, all that’s left is to return to Earth and validate it.”

“R- right. We wouldn’t want to overstay our welcome,” he nodded quickly, forcing his head to get back into the game. He could think things over once they were back home. “We’re really grateful for your help and cooperation, everyone. On behalf of the E-Class and Korosensei, thank you very much.”

“Aa. Here, you can keep this as a souvenir!”

Smirking a bit, the girl threw the “bomb” at the bald man, who caught it with a startled yelp.

“Watch it!” he warned, scared out of his wits.

“It’s okay, that thing is filled with sweet bean jelly,” she snorted, already heading back toward the capsule. “Don’t mind, don’t mind~!”

“ _Oh, no…”_ groaned all of the researchers.

“We’ve very sorry for the trouble,” chuckled sheepishly Isogai, bowing lightly. “Thank you again!”

“There’s some pretty amazing junior-high kids out there,” mused Mizui.

 _“You guys are an awesome group of hero,”_ added Jeremiah, amused.

 _“Come back any time—but next time, do it the right way,”_ suggested Martin.

 _“Bye bye! Stay safe!”_ replied cheerfully Ame.

Waving goodbye, the girl was the first to disappear into the capsule. Just as Isogai was about to join her inside, though, Jeremiah called out to him.

“Oh, and Isogai!” The boy looked up, and the man grinned broadly, offering him a thumbs’ up. _“Go get her, tiger!”_

The poor boy flushed ten shades of red, promptly disappearing into the capsule too. _That_ made the crewmembers laugh boisterously. In the end, no matter how amazing these kids were, they were still just that: kids.

* * *

“Aah, it’s a bittersweet feeling, to know that our adventure in outer space is already almost over,” mused Ame, leaning back into her seat.

“Well, as short as it was, I have to admit that I’m a little homesick,” admitted Isogai, rubbing the back of his head. “I’ve never been so far away from home, before.”

Ame snorted at that. “And I doubt you’ll ever get that far again—unless you decided to come back up here, someday.”

“As amazing as it was, I think I’ll pass—there’s too much I want to do down there.”

She sighed wistfully at that. “Yeah, me too.” She then looked up the phone floating above their heads. “How’s our return course looking, Ritsu?”

“I’m on it,” assured the purple-haired program. “I’ve crunched a _ton_ of numbers to get you down safely. This spaceship may as well be my own body by now. Plus, all those sensors I have are picking up more than ever before. External temperature, air pressure, speed, the scenery… Isogai-san, Ame, I even have a clear read on your respiration, your conversation, your heart rate, your warmth. To think so much, to move, to feel… How wonderful! This mission has evolved my intelligence—I’m experiencing it firsthand! _This_ is what was missing from the body Usagi made for me… Now I understand why it still didn’t feel right, despite the sensors and the systems…” Ame’s eyes widened as, for the first time, she heard Ritsu’s voice clearly—as if she was a living person talking directly to her, and not just from a phone. “I just gained awareness of an emotion for the very first time. I’m happy—happy to be a part of this class.”

Ame could only smile at that. “And we’re happy to have you with us, Ritsu. Thank you, for sharing this wonderful journey with us.”

“Hmm.” After a few seconds, her unusually solemn voice returned to its cheerful self. “That being said, we’re now back on tracks and about to start our descent. Please, quickly suit up and ensure that you’re strapped up properly—this is going to be a bumpy landing!”

They didn’t have to be told twice. Quickly suiting up, they then strapped on the numerous safety belts—just in time, seeing as the capsule soon started shaking rather violently. At that point, though, the awe and adrenaline had worn off, and anxiety crept up on Ame without any warning. This was the last hurdle they needed to clear, and she kept on telling herself that they’d be safe, that they’d make it back without any trouble, that everything was planned and calculated and that Korosensei would be there in case something went wrong—

“Ame-san.”

She cracked an eye open, glancing at Isogai, and she was taken aback upon seeing him extending his hand to her. After a few seconds, she found herself relaxing just so slightly, and she reached out to grab his hand. Holding on tightly, she closed her eyes again, forcing herself to focus on the knowledge that she wasn’t along and that they’d be _fine,_ her grip tightening ever so slightly as the capsule shook some more—

“Right on schedule! And what a grueling trip it must have— _ow!”_

“Korosensei!” gasped Isogai, startled.

As if on cue, the parachutes were deployed at once, effectively slowing down their descent, though not by much.

“So I didn’t need to intercede in the negotiations after all,” remarked the octopus, his voice echoing through the wall. “You really must have gotten through to those space guys. Now, to give you two a little shove!”

At that, Ame completely relaxed—despite the pained yelps now echoing from outside. She knew that they were in good hands, and she no longer worried about their landing.

It took them a little while but, finally, the capsule landed directly into what used to be the pool Korosensei had built for them so many months ago. Once Ritsu gave them the all-clear, Ame slumped into her seat, relieved.

“Ano… Ame-san…?”

It took her a few seconds to notice that she was _still_ holding Isogai’s hand. Spluttering out a few apologies, she was quick to let him go, her face flushing a deep red. He didn’t say anything else, too busy trying to hide his own blush, and the two of them quickly unstrapped and got rid of the suits. Then, Ritsu unlocked the hatch and, at last, they were able to breathe in free air again.

“Ame!”

“Isogai-kun!”

“You made it!”

“Way to go!”

Ame stumbled out of the capsule, almost landing face-first into the water but, thankfully enough, Karma and Rio were quick to catch her. After spending so much time in a zero-gravity environment, she’d need a few minutes to get used to gravity again. Isogai was in pretty much the same state, but Maehara and Sugino acted as his support.

“We’re back,” simply grinned Ame.

Karma lightly ruffled her hair. “Welcome back.”

Rio smirked. “Anything interesting happened up there? You and Isogai-kun were all red when you stepped out of there.”

“U- uh? No, nothing like that! It was just really, really hot in there! That’s all!”

Her quick reply did nothing to help her case, and her two friends exchanged a knowing grin. Before either of them could prod her for any potential juicy details, though, Korosensei directed all of them to the classroom, saying they’d take a look at the data right away. So, it was with a bounce in their steps that the students all made their way back to the classroom, all the while hounding Ame and Isogai for details about their little trip.

“Naoki.” The girl stiffened slightly when Karasuma called out to her, visibly annoyed. “Do I even want to know just how much data you stole up there?”

“… the less you know, the better.”

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “That’s what I was afraid of. You’re lucky I know you enough to let you get away with this, Naoki. Had you been the type to use this kind of knowledge for malicious or harmful deeds, you’d already be behind bars, assassination be damned.”

“Ooh? So you trust me enough to let me run wild with all that info?” she mused.

“I do, because I know you’re a good person.” He lightly patted her head for half-a-second, before promptly pulling away with a scowl. “But I’m not an idiot. Try to use that to your advantage, and I will have your hide.”

“R- right. Whatever you say, Karasuma-sensei.”

_A good person, uh…?_

* * *

.

.

“Whoa! Check out this data!”

“I’m glad you got it, but with all this jargon—I can’t understand a word!”

“I’ll handle it,” replied Okuda, adjusting her glasses so she could read properly. “Let’s see here… _An experiment in space proved that the risk of explosion for a tentacle creature is inversely proportional to its size. The bigger it is, the more stable, while the smaller ones have a higher likelihood of exploding. Unlike those the size of a small mouse, the probability of a human-sized creature going berserk and exploding is much lower than expected. Additionally, the drug indicated below is administered and a silicon compound is periodically stimulated to flow through the body. Simply put, by relieving muscular stiffness, the risk of them going berserk decreases dramatically.”_

“Stiffness?” echoed Isogai and Maehara, confused.

“ _When the following conditions are satisfied, the possibility of explosion, even at the highest… is less than one percent.”_

“One percent!?” gawked Yoshida, as taken aback as the rest of the students.

 _“It is likely that other cells will die out before any explosion occurs, and the creature will gently evaporate within 90 years,”_ concluded Okuda, her voice trembling a bit with emotion.

“So, you can make this drug or what?” asked impatiently Terasaka.

“It’s- it’s surprisingly easy! In fact, I made one almost exactly like it before!”

“That one!?” exclaimed the rest of the students, startled, as they thought back to that particular time when Okuda had tried her hand at poisoning Korosensei—and instead, had turned him into a gelatinous mass of grey matter.

“You’re kidding, right?” protested Fuwa. “The key to solving this was right there all along!?”

“Are you sure? I mean, it was almost too easy to find,” added Muramatsu, dubious.

“No—the road here wasn’t all that easy.” Everyone turned around to look at Kayano, who smiled lightly. “Because my sister risked her life to stop Korosensei as he was turning into a destructive creature. Because Korosensei followed in her footsteps, risking his life to teach us. If we hadn’t risked our lives, we probably wouldn’t be able to make that drug, and we wouldn’t have grown into a class that could look for answers way out in _space.”_

“Either way, less than one percent is as good as zero!” then exclaimed cheerfully Sugino, pumping his fist in the air. “Even if we can’t kill him, Earth won’t explode!”

“Yatta!”

“Hurray!”

Ame slumped in her seat, relieved and suddenly very exhausted. She was glad things had apparently turned out for the better, and that they hadn’t made it all the way to the space station just to return with bad news.

“Ah, wait. What about the assassination?” suddenly asked Isogai, blinking in confusion. “The one we’ve been working on since our first term? Should we just call it off as of today?”

“Uh? I- I guess we can… I think…?” replied Sugino, now unsure.

“Nagisa!” called out Terasaka. “What do you wanna do? This was _your_ idea to begin with—not to kill him, that is.”

“No matter how minute the possibility, the government won’t cancel its assassination plans, not as long as he remains a dangerous creature,” then warned Karasuma.

“… I want to treat everyone’s feelings with care, especially now that we’ve come through that tunnel,” finally answered the blue-haired boy. “So, here’s what I suggest: if we can’t kill Korosensei by the March deadline, we’ll graduate from assassination and go back to being plain old students and teacher. But, until that deadline, let’s wild our blades with the utmost conviction! After all, here, _assassination_ is our bond with our teacher—and a compulsory course from Korosensei, who nurtured us.”

“Sounds good to me,” mused Ame, stretching her arms. “Now that I no longer have to hide anything, I’ll be able to go all out. This is going to be fun!”

“Yosh! Let’s get him in the last term!” cheered Rio.

“Yeah!”

* * *

.

.

“Ame-san?”

“Yo! So, how does it feel, to have your two feet back on firm ground?”

“Not half-bad, I daresay,” chuckled the boy.

Ame looked up to the crescent moon above their heads. “This really was a crazy adventure… I don’t think my colleagues are going to believe me, to be honest.”

“A one-of-a-kind journey… Ne, Ame-san?”

“Hm?”

There was a moment of silence. Confused, the teen looked over to Isogai, who had stopped in his tracks and was now mulling over what to say next. She patiently waited for him to make up his mind, her heart unwittingly picking up the pace. What was that sense of anticipation? Why was she reacting like this? _What was he going to say!?_

“… it really was a crazy adventure,” he finally said, before offering her a blinding smile. “And I’m glad I could share this experience with you of all people, Ame-san.”

“I- Isogai-kun…” She felt both flustered and disappointed. What had she been expecting him to tell her, exactly? “I, erm, I feel the same way—that I could go up there with you. Like what, it’s truly wonderful that I got to experience the outer space with such a great friend!”

 _Friend._ For some reason, the word felt heavy on her tongue.

_Damn it, what is wrong with me!?_

“R- right. Friend,” echoed Isogai, suddenly averting his eyes. “A- anyway, I should go. I’ll- I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

“Erm, right! Later!”

Why did things feel so awkward? Why did he run off so suddenly? Was it something she said? Or rather, something she _didn’t_ say? Her heart was still beating too fast for her liking, and she could feel her cheeks burning as she unwittingly thought back to what Isogai just told her…

Ame groaned, rubbing her temples, as understanding finally dawned on her.

_You can’t be fucking serious…_


	37. Thirty-Seventh Period: Stressful Time

“You _what.”_

“I went to outer space to infiltrate an international space research station, threatened the American team with a fake bomb, somehow developed a crush on my classmate, got the data needed to save Korosensei, placed one of Usagi’s USB keys that’ll allow him immediate access and control over the system of the entire station, before finally returning to Earth safe and sound. You’re welcome, really.”

Hana pinched the bridge of her nose, visibly struggling to refrain herself from strangling her protégé. “You are _insane.”_

Uma swopped in, grabbing Ame and making her spin as tears comically streamed down his cheeks. “My little girl’s all grown up! She has a _crush!!!”_

“Uma, that’s _clearly_ not the priority here,” sighed Karasu, shaking his head.

“Aah!? Our little tsundere has openly admitted to having _feelings_ for someone! I daresay it’s a pretty big deal!” retorted the blond.

“Ugh, put me down, I’m gonna be sick…” groaned Ame, who was starting to run out of air.

“Oops! Sorry~.”

Uma released her, and Usagi scratched his head. “Well… As reckless and completely crazy this operation was, it worked, and the Zodiac is now in control of one of the most well-protected researches facility in the world—or outside of it, as it is. Good job.”

“There’s no stopping you, is there?” asked Hana, who looked on the verge of a mental breakdown. “You’re just going to keep doing crazier and crazier stuff, and you’ll keep on pulling _fricking miracles_ out of your ass, and we’ll just have to roll with it and deal with the consequences as they come. Is that it?”

After a moment of silence, Ame beamed. “Yup, pretty much!”

“Damn it…”

“Okay, okay, Ame somehow went to space and displayed just how crazy she actually was, yadda, yadda. Now can we _please_ move on to the important part?” huffed impatiently Uma, practically bouncing in place. “Who’s the lucky one? What happened? Did you kiss already!?”

“No, none of that! I just… I just had some time to think, is all,” she replied, averting her eyes a bit. She crossed her arms defensively, scowling a bit. “And if you _must_ know, it’s the class rep. He was my partner for going into space—and _nothing_ happened, so get your minds out of the gutter!”

“Wait, class rep? Isogai Yuma?” repeated Karasu, quirking an eyebrow. “The pretty boy who works in that café you like so much?”

“How do you even know—nope, stupid question,” sighed Ame, deflating a bit. “But yeah. That guy. Alright, laugh it up and get it out of the way already!”

Before any of them could reply, none other than Devit poked his head out of his office. “Did I just hear Ame admitting to having a crush on a guy?” At everyone’s nod of acknowledgment, his lips split into a wide grin, and he _cackled._ “Ah! Time to pay up, suckers! And you too, Feitan! I know you’re here!”

Feitan’s voice echoed from another room. “Ah, fuck.”

“Aww, damn it,” sighed Uma, also pulling out a few bills.

All of the members present started exchanging money, under Ame’s flabbergasted and bemused gaze. After a few seconds, she finally caught up to what was happening.

“Wait… Are you telling me there was an actual betting pool on me having a crush?” she asked, her eye twitching a bit.

“Actually, it was a betting pool on whether you were into boys or into girls,” admitted Karasu, smirking as he counted the money Uma had just handed him. “The entire organization was in on it, too. Buru, Usagi, Yagi, Devit, Hana, Isana, Red Eye, and I bet on you being into boys; Ryu, Buta, Uma, and Feitan bet on you being into girls; and Same, Saru, and Keigo bet on you being into both. Are you?”

“I- I don’t think so, no…?” Ame then quickly shook her head, exasperated. “You’re saying even _Keigo_ was in on it!? He’s been around for barely two months!”

The others simply shrugged, clearly unperturbed, and she heaved out a sigh. She didn’t entirely mind the betting pool, to be frank, but she was a tad annoyed to realize that practically everyone in the organization had been keeping an eye on her love life without her knowing. The only reason she told them in the first place was that A) she knew they were going to figure it out eventually, and they’d _definitely_ make her life a living hell for trying to hide it from them, and B) because she once made the stupid promise to Uma that she’d tell him as soon as she had a crush so that he’d stop bugging her about it and, against her better judgment, she was a woman of her word.

_Though, I’ve got the feeling that they won’t let it drop so easily, now…_

_Ugh, this is going to be a pain, isn’t it?_

* * *

.

.

“I knew it!”

“Rio—“

“I mean, it was painfully _obvious,_ and there have been quite a few times when I just wanted to shove you two together so you’d kiss already, but _still!”_

“Rio—!”

“Actually, Maehara and I had even been planning on getting you two trapped together in a closet so you’d have to confess eventually—“

“RIO!”

The blonde stopped talking at last, blinking a few times upon realizing that she had gotten a _little_ carried away. As soon as Ame had taken her aside to explain the… situation, she had had to refrain herself from jumping in excitement, overjoyed to know that her ship had finally lifted the anchor.

“Look, I didn’t tell you so you’d make a big deal out of it,” sighed Ame, rubbing her temples. “I need your help—“

“Well, obviously—“

“—How do I make it go away?”

“… eh?”

The blonde and the black-haired girl stared at each other for a moment, the first dumbstruck and confused, and the second almost desperate. Ame reached out, grabbing Rio’s shoulders.

“How do I make it go away?” she repeated, obviously hoping for an answer.

“Ame…” Rio frowned. “Why? Aren’t you happy? This is—“

“I can’t deal with this right now, Rio,” replied Ame, letting her go. She leaned against a tree and slid down, dropping on the ground. “There’s already so much going on… We have to save Korosensei, we’ve got to keep an eye out for any government attempt at assassinating him, the entrance exams are coming up, I’m about to start receiving special training in order to become the Leader of the Zodiac, and I _still_ don’t know what I want to do with my future title or the power that’s being entrusted to me—I _can’t_ deal with a silly crush, not when I’ve already got so much to worry about!”

“Ame…” After a few seconds, Rio sighed and went to sit next to her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, she pulled her into a one-armed hug. “It’s okay, Ame. You’re the one making a big deal out of nothing, really. Having a crush isn’t all that bad, is it? I mean, we’re _all_ working together when it comes to Korosensei, so stop putting so much pressure on yourself with that. As for your future… Well, Isogai-kun already knows all there is to know about your double-life, so I’m sure that he’d understand and that he’d be able to help you out, you know?”

“That’s not the point…” murmured Ame, bringing her knees against her chest. “Everything’s so unsure… How can I be sure that I won’t just grow out of it after having acted on it? How can I be sure that it’ll work out, and that we won’t just end up hurting each other? My future’s already blurry as it is, so how I can know for certain that adding yet another variable won’t mess up my calculations even more?”

“Well, you’ve always been bad at math, so one variable more, or one variable less…”

Ame half-glared. “Again, _not_ the point. I just don’t think I’m ready for that kind of responsibility—I’m barely getting used to trusting other people, and I can barely take care of myself, or so you say. How can I be trusted to care for someone else properly?”

“Well, I daresay you’re pretty good at that, if the track record of this class is anything to go by. You’ve protected us and cared for us more times than I can remember. And you’re already doing better when it comes to trusting people and caring for yourself—and you can’t say that Isogai hasn’t been helping with that already,” countered simply the blonde. She frowned again. “Ame… I get that you’re worried, and that you’re not used to that kind of stuff… but doesn’t it feel like you’re just looking for excuses?” Ame stiffened, and Rio sighed. “What is it that you’re _really_ worried about? I get that the part about your future plays a part in it, and that’s fair, but _anyone_ would be worried about starting a romantic relationship—there’s _nothing_ certain about that kind of thing. But there’s obviously something else, because you’re not the type to usually fish for half-hassed excuses.”

“… material.”

“What?” Rio blinked, not having heard anything because Ame kept on mumbling. “What was that?”

“… not… friend… material.”

“I still can’t hear you—“

“I said: _I’m not girlfriend material.”_ There was a moment of silence, and Ame burrowed her head into her arms, mortified at having finally admitted it out loud. “It’s just like you and Maehara said that other time: finding myself a boyfriend is the equivalent of mission impossible.”

::

 _“Maa, maa, it’s fine!”_ replied Rio, slinging an arm around Ame’s neck, mindful not to touch her shoulder. _“It’s not like an opportunity like that comes up often! I mean,_ Ame _getting a_ love confession _? That’s like a live comedy show!”_

Ame huffed at that. _“Now you’re just being mean. I’m not that bad, seriously.”_

 _“Not that bad? You’re too strong, so no guy would be able to protect you! What guy wants a girlfriend who could beat him up with her little finger?”_ pointed out Maehara.

 _“And you’re super secretive too!”_ added Rio, a tad dramatically. _“Secrets are a no-go in romantic relationships, you know?”_

 _“Plus, you keep getting all those injuries!”_ Ame flinched as Maehara roughly poked her bandaged arm. _“You’re a real trouble-maker!”_

 _“And a trouble magnet!”_ laughed Rio. _“Seriously, finding you a boyfriend is like, the equivalent of mission impossible.”_

::

Upon remembering that particular conversation, Rio cringed a bit. “Ah… I didn’t think you’d actually take that to heart. We were just teasing you, you know?”

“But you were _right._ I’m reckless, headstrong, I do what I want without concerting anybody, I have trust issues, I keep on getting hurt or putting myself in life-threatening positions, I’m _pretty_ sure that I’ve developed an unhealthy taste for danger-induced adrenaline, and Kayano was right, I’m emotionally twisted, and my moral compass isn’t all that straight, and—“

“Ame, Ame, Ame!” Rio pulled away to take a better look at the now frantic girl, quickly stopping her rant. “What the hell? Aren’t you supposed to be all aloof and confident? Where do all those doubts come from?” She then sighed, shaking her head. “Look, clearly, you’re too blinded by your worries to see the bigger picture: you might be reckless, but usually know what you’re doing. You can be headstrong, but you’re _smart—_ you won’t do something outright stupid unless there’s no other way. Communicating isn’t your forte, but you’re the kind of person who learns from her mistakes, and you’re getting better at it—just like with your trust issues, too. You keep on getting hurt but, to be fair, that’s rarely outright your fault—you’re often at the wrong place at the wrong time, but you’re usually careful. Being an adrenaline junkie isn’t _too_ bad, so long as you’re conscious of it and don’t become an addict—and let’s be honest, do you _really_ think anyone in that organization of yours would let it go that far? Your mad doctor would probably set your screws straight if it ever got too far.” _That_ made Ame snort, and Rio finally allowed herself to smile a little. “Your emotions… Everyone feels differently, Ame, but it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. You have a different upbringing that made you who you are today, and that’s that. And, again, to be fair: you’re an _info-broker._ I daresay that morals aren’t exactly on the table in that kind of organization but, then again, I’ve met the people you work with—and I can assure you that none of them are _bad_ people, and neither are you. Even if your morals and values are a tad different, they’re still in the right place, and that’s all that matters.”

“… but it might put him in danger,” finally admitted Ame, her shoulders slumping. “By becoming the Leader of the Zodiac, anyone associated with me will be in danger… It’s already bad enough that I have my family to look out for, but if I find myself a romantic partner—“

“Ame, to be fair, that’s not _your_ decision to make,” replied firmly Rio, patting her shoulder. “If Isogai-kun is willing to be with you while aware of the risks, that’s on him, not you.” She then grinned wryly, gesturing to the E-Class building further away. “Plus, we’re a class of _trained assassins._ We’ve already dealt with danger before, and we can definitely do it again.”

“… you’re right. I guess- I guess I’m just worried about what might eventually happen,” sighed Ame, finally relaxing a little. She then groaned. “This wasn’t in my plans at all…”

Rio snorted at that. “This entire _year_ wasn’t in our plans, Ame. Or were you planning on becoming a member of a classroom meant to kill their genetically modified teacher?”

“Fair enough.”

They stayed silent for a few seconds, before Rio sighed. “Look, it’s not all that complicated: either you accept those feelings and move on, either you accept those feelings and act on them. If you keep on trying to deny them or ignore them… it’ll just get worst. And, in the end, you’ll surely regret not saying anything.”

“Sa- saying anything?” Ame’s eyes went wide with panic. “I can’t just _tell_ him! Can you imagine just how embarrassing that would be!?”

Surprised by the sudden outburst, Rio then laughed. “Aww, you sure can be cute when you want to, can’t you?”

“Aah!? What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“Nothing, nothing~.”

_“Rio!”_

* * *

.

.

“ _Merry Christmas_!!!”

“ _Merry Christmas_!”

All of the students popped the confetti, and Ame couldn’t help but smile at the sight of all of those joyous faces. At the front, Korosensei mindfully avoided the Anti-BB bullets the students had hidden amongst the confetti, all the while chewing on a chicken leg.

“What a marvelous Christmas Eve! Yes, February means Christmas, all right!”

Before anyone could question what exactly he was trying to do, though, he used his Mach 20 speed to go around the classroom and change the clothes the students were wearing—everyone passed from red and white Christmas suits to traditional kimonos and yukatas.

“Happy New Year! A new year is upon us! Tackle your studies and your assassination with new emotion! Now, then… time to laze the day away.”

On which Korosensei plopped down under a kotatsu table as he watched TV.

“Why are you watching _One Piece?”_ wondered Fuwa, confused.

“More importantly: where are you going with this?” sweatdropped Nagisa.

“Well, from what I’ve gathered, you’re trying to take all the fun year-end events you missed out on and cram them into February?” guessed Fuwa, always the bright detective.

“AH! Exactly right!” exclaimed Korosensei, suddenly tearful. “Our only winter break, and not a single one of you came to visit! And you were so earnestly worried and trying so hard on my behalf that it didn’t feel right for me to invite you over…”

“Dumb thing to fret about when we were all so bummed out,” huffed Yoshida.

“But with all that behind you, now’s the perfect time!” exclaimed the octopus, suddenly back in high spirits. “We’ll take back the winter break we lost—all at once!”

As amused as Ame was, though, she wasn’t entirely present—in mind, that is. Not only was she troubled with how the situation with Isogai had developed ( _her? A crush? NOW!?),_ but she was also getting a little more worried each day about her future. After all, graduation day was only thirty-two days away, and she still had no idea of what she wanted to do. Of course, the thought of becoming a lawyer, like Isogai had suggested, was tempting… but she wanted to do something _more,_ something _better._

_Ugh, when did things get this complicated, seriously?_

* * *

.

.

“Future plans, uh…? What high schools are you guys going to?” asked curiously Maehara.

“Someplace a little lower-level to give us some breathing room,” admitted Okajima.

“Korosensei taught us the fundamentals through senior year—high school can be all about honing our techniques,” reasoned Sugaya.

“Must be nice,” sighed Fuwa, shaking her head. “We’re really pushing ourselves.”

 _“If you’re going into communications, you need a solid academic record!_ Or so he said,” mimicked Mimura.

“You sound nothing like him!” snorted Maehara.

As the group walked away, Nagisa turned to Karma. “Karma, where are _you_ headed?”

“Ah, I’ll stay at Kunugigaoka,” shrugged the red-haired boy.

“Ah? You mean you’ll take the entrance all over again?” gaped Sugino.

“I figured you’d go for something better,” mused Kayano. “I mean, you could get into the best high schools around!”

“Put yourself in the main-campus students’ shoes. The guy they thought they’d chased away is back—and standing head and shoulders above them.” Karma grinned from ear to ear. “What could be better than seeing those punks’ humiliated mugs for three whole years?”

“Such a winning personality,” sweatdropped Nagisa.

“Besides, there are better schools for average academic ability, but only Kunugigaoka has students who’d be fun to take on in one-on-one academic showdowns,” then added Karma, now smirking. “I’ll have no problem getting the job I’m after. I figure I can take this time to just enjoy a battle or three.”

 _Such a Karma-like answer,_ mused internally Ame, walking past them without being noticed. She didn’t feel like talking right at the moment. _I suppose it would be best to talk with Saru first, see what the best option is. Should I go for the usual three years of high school right off the bat, or should I wait and see what Saru has in mind for my specialized training…?_

“Something on your mind, Ame-san?”

She stiffened, snapping her eyes back. How in the _hell_ had she not only failed to notice Isogai, but also: how the _fuck_ had _he_ noticed _her?_ She had been trying her best to avoid her classmates on the way out in order to escape from the inevitable talks about the future, but she had also been putting some considerable effort into not crossing paths with Isogai, in particular.

 _Well, looks like_ that _didn’t work out._

“I- I’m fine. Just trying to… figure out some stuff, is all,” she finally answered, a tad awkwardly.

“About your future?” he easily guessed, though he seemed a tad puzzled.

She tilted her head. “What it is?”

“Ah, well, I’m surprised, is all. After what you said in the capsule, I simply assumed you had figured out what you wanted to do,” he then admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

“What I said…?”

::

“ _Aah, it’s a bittersweet feeling, to know that our adventure in outer space is already almost over_ ,” mused Ame, leaning back into her seat.

“ _Well, as short as it was, I have to admit that I’m a little homesick,”_ admitted Isogai, rubbing the back of his head. _“I’ve never been so far away from home, before.”_

Ame snorted at that. “ _And I doubt you’ll ever get that far again—unless you decided to come back up here, someday.”_

“ _As amazing as it was, I think I’ll pass—there’s too much I want to do down there.”_

She sighed wistfully at that. “ _Yeah, me too.”_

::

“Ah, I didn’t really…” Ame trailed off. What _did_ she mean when she said that? After a few seconds, she heaved out a sigh. “No, I’m still not sure. If anything, I quite like the idea of becoming a lawyer, like you suggested, but it’s… I don’t know. It doesn’t feel like it’s _enough,_ you know? It feels like I really could do something _more!”_

“Enough for _what,_ Ame-san?”

She paused. He was right.

_Enough for what?_

She didn’t know. Hell, she wished she knew, but she didn’t.

And yet, Isogai simply smiled, as if _he_ knew something.

“I think you do,” he finally said, his smile soft and gentle and— _stop, bad brain, bad, bad, bad!_ “In fact, I think you already told everyone. I guess you forgot, though.”

“Wait, what? When did that happen? What did I say!?”

He simply shook his head, though. “I’m sorry, Ame-san, but I really think you should figure this one out on your own. You’re smart, but you often over-complicate things, you know?”

“Stingy,” she huffed, a tad embarrassed as she averted her eyes.

He chuckled at that. “Sorry. If you want a clue, though… Well, think back to the one thing you’ve been doing ever since Korosensei arrived in our classroom—the one thing you’d never doubt, and that you’d never stop doing, no matter the consequences.”

“… can’t you just tell me?”

At that, he outright laughed, lightly patting her shoulder. “No can do, Ame-san. For once, I know something you don’t—I might as well enjoy it while it lasts, right?”

After a few seconds, she allowed herself to smile. “Fair enough.”

Rio was apparently entirely, utterly _wrong._ Ame could, and _would,_ ignore her feelings for as long as she wanted. Even if having the boy so close to her was making butterflies flutter in her stomach—and wasn’t _that_ just sappy as hell—she could definitely endure it.

_Only a month left. After that… after that, we’ll all part ways, and the path I want to take isn’t one where he, or anyone, can follow._

* * *

.

.

Later that night, after a rowdy dinner with her siblings, Itona, and her grandmother, Ame decided to head out and make her way to the Zodiac’s headquarters in order to have a serious talk with Saru. After all, as much as she enjoyed procrastinating, this wasn’t the kind of subject she could afford to avoid any longer. So, once Itona promised to cover for her if someone asked for her, she snuck outside and got going.

_Still, what Isogai-kun told me earlier… What could he possibly mean by that? Something I’ve been doing ever since Korosensei arrived in the classroom, the one thing I’d never doubt, and the one thing I’d never stop doing no matter the consequences… Ugh, did he have to be so cryptic?_

_Assassination? No, I’m not planning on becoming an assassin._

_Ever since Korosensei arrived, and_ other _than assassination… Keeping secrets? I mean, I’m an info-broker, so that’s already a given… Digging up backstories? Making up complicated assassination schemes? Going on top-secret missions? Working with the government? Getting in trouble? Or maybe—_

“H- help— _argh!”_

“Shut up, bitch!”

Ame stopped, glancing at the other side of the street. There was an alley, and it was too dark to see anything beyond the first two meters, but she could hear scuffling and muffled shouts. She narrowed her eyes, instantly making a beeline for the suspicious noises as she drew out a real knife. Silently making her way through the shadows, she finally found what she was looking for—and she saw _red_.

“Release her— _now,”_ she hissed, pressing her knife against the man’s throat.

The guy stiffened, and the woman he had been holding against the wall stopped struggling, shooting a wide-eyed, hopeful look at the teen. Upon realizing he wasn’t letting go, Ame’s thin self-control snapped and, without hesitation, she grabbed one of his arms, twisted it—

‘SNAP’

He let out a howl of pain as he collapsed, holding his broken arm against his chest. Ame instantly lifted her knife, pointing it right between his watery eyes, and he gulped.

“Listen to me carefully: you will never— _ever—_ lay hands on someone without their consent again. If you do, I _will_ know, and I _will_ find you, and I will…”

A pause.

The man gulped again. “K- kill me.”

At that, Ame offered him an eerie smile. “ _Worst_.”

He let out a pitiful whimper as her bloodlust crashed upon him like a suffocating wave, and she scrunched up her nose upon noticing he had actually pissed himself.

“You’re disgusting,” she huffed. “Go home, take a shower, and think about _not_ being a fucking waste of air and space in our society—though, before all that, you better apologize.”

“I- I—“

 _“Apologize_ to her.”

“I- I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry! I won’t do it again, I swear!”

“Good. Now _scram,_ before I change my mind.”

He didn’t have to be told twice. Despite his injury, he was gone in a matter of seconds, leaving Ame and the woman he had been assaulting alone in the alley. After a few seconds, Ame heaved out a sigh and put away her knife, before looking down at the woman, who was still kneeling on the ground.

“Are you hurt?” she asked, gently putting her hand on her shoulder. “Can you walk?”

“Y- yeah, I- I- I- can…”

“Good. I’ll take you home, okay? Don’t worry, you’re safe, now.”

The poor, shaken woman didn’t say anything else—she simply rose to her feet with Ame’s help, and the two of them then left the alley, heading to the woman’s house. As they walked in silence, Ame had a hard time calming down. There were many things she was ready to do or ignore in her line of work, but rape was not one of them. Forcefully stripping someone of their dignity, humiliating them, traumatizing them, ruining their lives… all for the sake of “answering to someone’s urges”?

No. No _fucking_ way.

Not if she could help it.

 _Wait._ Her eyes widened a bit. _I can—_

“It- it’s here.” She suddenly snapped back to reality, and realized they had stopped walking before an apartment complex. “Thank- thank you, for helping- helping me. Had- had you not been there, I- I—“

“Don’t think it about it. It _didn’t_ happen, and you’re safe, now,” simply replied Ame, gently nudging her toward the staircase.

“But- but it could…”

The woman trailed off, shaking her head as a shudder ran down her spine, but Ame easily finished the sentence she started: _but it could have happened._

 _But it could happen_ again.

“Here.” Without hesitation, Ame handed her the knife she had used earlier. “It’s not exactly legal, mind you, so it might be best not to show it unless it’s an emergency… but if something happens again, then defend yourself. Don’t hesitate, don’t falter—strike true.”

The woman paled even more at that. “I- I couldn’t possibly _kill_ someone—“

“It’s not about killing—it’s about _protecting_ yourself. Or someone else, if it just so happens that way.” Not one to give in so easily, Ame shoved the knife into the woman’s bag. “You don’t _have_ to use it. But, once you return outside on your own, it’ll _definitely_ make you feel safer.”

“… okay. Thank- thank you. Again.”

“No problem.”

Ame stayed there until the woman was safely back into her apartment and, just to be sure, Ame even checked her lock. Once certain she was safe, the young girl returned to her initial route but, as she started heading for the headquarters, she couldn’t help but think back about what had just happened, and what she had just discovered.

::

_“I think you do. In fact, I think you already told everyone. I guess you forgot, though.”_

_“Wait, what? When did that happen? What did I say!?”_

_“I’m sorry, Ame-san, but I really think you should figure this one out on your own. You’re smart, but you often over-complicate things, you know?”_

_“Stingy.”_

_“Sorry. If you want a clue, though… Well, think back to the one thing you’ve been doing ever since Korosensei arrived in our classroom—the one thing you’d never doubt, and that you’d never stop doing, no matter the consequences.”_

::

 _“It’s not about killing—it’s about_ protecting _yourself. Or someone else, if it just so happens that way.”_

::

_“Korosensei, you’re the only teacher who ever gave a damn about me, and I consider you one of my precious people. As such, I don’t want to lose you. I’ve learned to fight, to steal, to kill… For once in my life, though, I want to use my abilities to save someone, instead.”_

::

 _Ah._ All at once, everything was a lot clearer, and Ame lifted her gaze to the crescent moon hanging in the night sky, a smile gracing her lips. _Isogai-kun was right—I really do_ _over-complicate things, sometimes._

* * *

“Are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely.”

“It’s not going to be easy.”

“If it was, anyone would have done it before.”

“Ah! I think you overestimate the good of humanity, Ame.”

“Maybe it doesn’t exist, or _maybe_ it’s simply suffocated by all of the bad out there. Good people still exist, Saru—and I think it’s about time we did something for them, instead of for the highest bidder.”

“Wow, never thought I’d see you become an idealist.” After a few seconds, the man smiled—a proud, supportive smile. “I’m in, Ame. I can’t wait to see the storm you’re about to bring upon the world.”

She laughed at that. “See? Saru, you’ll be right in the eye of it. Just ‘cause you won’t be Leader anymore doesn’t mean you get to retire early! I’ll work you to the bone, ah, ah— _ack!”_

“Cheeky brat! Don’t let the title get to your head when you’re still in junior high school!”

* * *

.

.

“Isogai-kun, I figured it out!”

The following day, Ame returned to school in high spirits. Now that she had a plan, and now that the had Saru’s support, she felt light on her feet—and all of the stress that had been accumulating in the past few weeks was gone so suddenly, it almost made her dizzy, hence why she acted on impulse and didn’t think things through as she suddenly hugged the boy out of absolutely nowhere.

“A- Ame-san!?”

“Thank you! Thanks to you, I finally figured it out!” She was in too much of a good mood to get embarrassed at the sudden display of affection—in fact, she didn’t even _think_ about it, too caught up in her own little doubt-free world of relief and happiness. “I know what to do, now!”

“Is- is that so?” Isogai was _definitely_ flustered, though. He didn’t peg Ame as the type of person to show affection so… physically, but he doubted it happened very often. “W- well, I’m glad I could be of help… A- anyway, what will you do, then?”

She released him at that, still smiling. “Well, I’ll be going to Kunugigaoka for the next two years, and then I’ll go to America for a third year of self-study mixed with specialized training. And then, I’ll become an independent lawyer and start my own office!”

“… in three years?”

“Yup!”

“But… doesn’t it take at least seven years of studies in order to become a lawyer?”

“Yes, but I don’t want to waste any more time than I need to, so I’ll do it in three.”

He let out a startled laugh, shaking his head lightly. “Only you, Ame-san, only you.”

Her smile simply widened, if possible.

* * *

.

.

Kunugigaoka High School’s entrance exam was laughably easy, especially since the Principal didn’t have a hand in making it. Karma was surprised to see her there, but apparently glad he wasn’t the only one who’d be sticking around, and Korosensei even dropped by briefly to cheer them on before they entered the building. All in all, it was a good day—even more so considering that, at the end of it, Saru contacted her to tell her that the others were onboard with her plans.

Unfortunately, her good mood wasn’t meant to last.

“What do you mean, Valentine’s Day? Why should I do anything?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you have a crush on—“

Ame instantly slapped her hand over Rio’s mouth, glaring. “Don’t you fucking _dare._ It’s one thing to talk about it outside of class—it’s another entirely when _he could show up any second.”_

Rio simply removed her hand, heaving out a sigh. “Fine, fine. All I’m saying is that you’re going at it the wrong way. Look at it this way, then: you’re making him chocolate to thank him for how he helped you out this year. Simple, no feelings involved—or at least, that he’s aware of—and you still get to give him chocolate!”

“But _why,_ Rio? I’m trying to get rid of that crush—not encourage it!”

The blonde simply shook her head, leaning back in her seat. “You can’t just get rid of something like that, Ame. The sooner you realize that, the better. And, just for once, be honest with yourself: wouldn’t you be happier if you just… let go of your worries, for once, and did what you want to do?”

“… I don’t know, Rio. Now that I’ve figured out my future, I have to work on making it become a reality—and I don’t know if I’ll be able to fully focus on that if I have a relationship on the side.”

“So you’re afraid of commitment, is that it?”

“No! Yes? _I don’t know!”_ Groaning, Ame let her head hit the desk with a ‘THUD’. “I like him, Rio—I really do—but what if something goes wrong? What if he gets hurt because of me? What if I do something wrong, or I can’t balance my time properly, or- or just become a shitty girlfriend in overall because I have so much on my plate already? Hell, and there’s still the matter of him accepting, too? Why would he? We’re good friends, and he’s really nice to me… But he’s nice to e _veryone!_ I don’t- I don’t want him to just say _yes_ out of pity or- or just to try and spare my feelings, you know?”

A bead of sweat started growing larger and larger on Rio’s temple as Ame ranted. Her friend was a smart cookie, but she was obviously pretty dumb when it came to social matters. Hell, even a blind man would be able to see that Isogai wasn’t entirely unaffected by Ame—for not saying _totally whipped_ already, even if he wasn’t entirely conscious of it just yet—and she was growing a tad exasperated by her friend’s antics. Sure, seeing her struggle so openly with her emotions was entertaining, but now it was almost pitiful.

“Ame…” After a few seconds, Rio smirked, a light bulb going off in her head. “Why, you should have told me you were _scared_. It’s okay to be a _coward_ from time to time, really. Who knows? If you try hard enough, you might eventually be able to _run away_ from your feelings.”

“… I hate you right now and regret ever telling you about my weakness for reversed psychology.”

Rio simply laughed at that, roughly slapping her back. “Maybe, but you’ve gotta do it now! Or maybe you want me to involve Karma—“

_“No.”_

Rio snickered, and Ame groaned, well aware that there was no going back. Rio wasn’t one for making empty threats, and she’d definitely spill the beans to Karma if Ame stalled too long for her liking.

_Damn, this is going to be a pain, isn’t it?_

* * *

.

.

Ame tried to make chocolate. Really, she did! But, after the fifth batch of unsuccessful, burnt chunks of ash-tasting “sweets”, Ash and her grandmother gave up on her, and Ame eventually settled for heading back to school with a cheap chocolate box bought on the racks of the nearest grocery store. The defeat left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she tried her best not to linger on it.

_You can do it, you can do it, you can do it…_

She kept on stalling, though. Whenever she caught sight of Isogai, she froze, and she found herself unable to pull out the box from her bag. Throughout the entire day, she witnessed all sorts of chocolate exchanges.

Sugino started banging his head on a wooden pole, insanely overjoyed after Kanzaki gave him mandatory chocolates. Hayami promised a back of chocolate bits to Chiba if he could hit his mark while firing said chocolate bits—which he did with startling success. Hazama gave Terasaka, Yoshida, Muramatsu, and Itona… well, not chocolate, per se, but more like hand-made bucket-lists with all sorts of creepy stuff. Even Okuda somehow found the courage to give handmade chocolates to Karma, though Ame later on realized that said chocolates had been filled with cyanide, at his request.

_And Rio and Karma have been helping Kayano out with her own confession, but I know that Rio’s been keeping an eye on me since the beginning of the day… If I don’t act soon, she’ll definitely sick Karma on me, and then I’ll never hear the end of it!_

Heaving out a sigh, Ame decided to head out when she saw Isogai outside.

_Come on, it’s just a normal gift to thank him, it’s just a formality, don’t make a big deal out of it and he won’t notice, just stay cool—you can do that, you always do that, just breathe!_

Steeling her resolves, she made a beeline for the forest, which Isogai had just entered. Just as she stepped foot past the first trees, though, a joyful, awed exclamation reached her ears.

“Whoa!!!”

It was Isogai. Without thinking, she swiftly jumped behind the nearest tree, before carefully glancing down the dirt track, where the class representative and none other than Kataoka stood next to each other, and Ame’s eyes widened upon noticing the gigantic plastic bag filled to the brim with all sorts of chocolates and candies that Isogai was now holding—it was so big, he struggled a bit to keep his balance.

“All- all this for me!? Are you sure?” he gasped, his eyes practically sparkling.

“Share them with your brother and sister,” simply replied Kataoka, visibly pleased that he enjoyed her gift so much. “It’s bulk commercial stuff from an ultra-cheap supermarket. Took me four hours by bike there and back.”

“Uh? Before the entrance exams? Are you going to be okay?” asked worriedly Isogai.

Ame didn’t really pay attention to the rest of the conversation, looking down at the pitiful, red-wrapped package she was holding in her hand. Compared to Kataoka’s gift, it truly was a pitiful thing—both in size and in meaning. Hell, she had grabbed the first thing she could get her hands on, trying to get it over with because of Rio’s stupid taunts…

_Since when am I someone to do things so half-heartedly…?_

The thought both sickened her and saddened her. Things didn’t _use_ to be this complicated, but they were now, and she needed to get over herself and deal with this properly. Either she played along, either she moved on, but she couldn’t keep up the status quo any longer—if she did, someone would definitely end up hurt.

Mindful not to be seen, Ame spun on her heels and headed back for the classroom. Once there, she quickly gathered her stuff, fully intending on leaving early. Slinging her bag over her shoulders, she was about to leave through the window while Korosensei wasn’t around to stop her, but a small whimper caught her attention. A tad confused, she glanced back… and sweatdropped upon noticing none other than Okajima, slumped over his desk with a dark cloud of misery floating around him.

After a moment of hesitation, she walked up to him and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

“Ugh, what…”

“Okajima…?”

Upon hearing a feminine voice, the boy instantly perked up and lifted his head—and his jaw dropped when she offered him the small, red box.

“Don’t take this the wrong way—it’s not a confession or anything,” she warned, sincerely hoping she hadn’t just dug her own grave. “I bought it out for myself since the price was cut in half for Valentine’s Day, but, erm… you look like you need it more than I do.”

“Is- is this for real…?” He carefully, almost reverently grabbed the box… and then started _crying._ “This is the most wonderful day of my life! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“S- sure…”

Well, cheap and meaningless or not, Okajima apparently still appreciated the gesture, and she was glad that, even if they hadn’t been given to the intended target, the off-the-rack chocolates still managed to make someone happy. She bid him goodbye, though she doubted he actually noticed, as busy as he was crying over the chocolate, before slipping through the window and making her escape.

Barely a minute or so later, the door of the classroom slid open, and Isogai and Kataoka entered.

“Wha—Okajima? Why are you crying?” blinked Isogai, confused.

“She’s an angel— _an angel!”_ cried out the boy, showing them the small box he was holding.

“Wait, you actually received chocolates?” gaped Kataoka.

“That’s just mean!” snapped Okajima, before going back to his teary, awed self. “But yes, yes I did…! Gah, Ame-san really is the best!”

Isogai, who had been in the process of putting down the heavy bag of sweets and candies on his desk, stilled upon hearing the name of Okajima’s mysterious benefactor.

_Ame-san…_

He quickly shook his head, nipping in the bud the small tinge of jealousy that had unexpectedly sprout up just a moment ago. Seeing Okajima’s state, he could guess that Ame had done it more out of pity than anything else, so there was nothing to worry about—

_Gah, stop thinking like that!_

“Whoa, Isogai!” Maehara then entered the classroom, making a beeline for the bag. “Not that I’m surprised to find you so popular, but that’s quite the haul!”

“Ah, actually, they’re all from Kataoka-san,” admitted the boy, quickly snapping back to reality.

Maehara spared a glance for the vice-class representative, who was currently arguing with Okajima about the chocolates the boy was now hoarding away like a dragon protecting his greatest treasure, before leaning over Isogai’s desk, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

 _“All_ of them?”

“All of them.”

At that, Maehara’s teasing smile dropped. “Wait, you’re serious? What about—“

“We didn’t even talk today. I think I saw her leaving just as we came in, too.”

His friend cringed, patting his shoulder in sympathy. “Sorry, dude. That sucks.”

Isogai offered a sheepish smile, shaking his head. “Ah, no, don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t be surprised, really—I doubt this is the kind of traditions Ame-san is into, anyway.”

“Still, I really thought she was going to give you _something…”_

Isogai couldn’t help but quirk an eyebrow at that. “And why would you be so sure of that?”

“Ah, erm, instincts…?” After a few seconds of stare-down, Maehara gave in first and heaved out a sigh, lowering his head. “Fine: Nakamura told me she pressured Ame into buying chocolates for you.”

Isogai couldn’t help but scowl a little at that. “You shouldn’t pressure Ame-san about things like that—even more so considering she clearly considers me as nothing more than a friend.”

 _You’re pretty much the only one who thinks that,_ sweatdropped internally Maehara, before shaking his head and replying: “I know, I know. I’m sorry. I’ll tell Nakamura to back off, too.”

“Good. I understand you’re quite fond of scheming and meddling, but I’d appreciate if you left the matters of Ame-san and I’s relationship alone—as I told you _before.”_

“Gah, don’t use the _disappointed older brother’s_ voice on me,” winced Maehara. “You know it always makes me feel bad.”

At that, Isogai chuckled lightly. “Why do you think I keep using it?”

* * *

.

.

“Ooh, Isogai-kun! Just in time!”

“I’m sorry?” blinked the boy, confused. He had decided to briefly drop by the café to pick up his schedule for the next few weeks, but he hadn’t expected to be greeted by practically all of the staff and about half of the usual customers. “In time for what, exactly?”

Kanako, one of the waitresses, grinned like the Cheshire cat. “Why, for receiving your gift. Your little girlfriend dropped by and had it made just for you~!”

“But- but I don’t have… a…”

He trailed off as he noticed what was in the pristine plate his colleague was now handing him. In it was a fairly large chocolate éclair, with two simple words written on it in vanilla icing.

_Thank you_

At first startled, a soft smile then graced his lips as he accepted the present. There wasn’t any name, but he knew exactly who it was from—because only two people in the class knew how much he loved éclair, and he doubted Maehara would pull that kind of stunt.

* * *

.

.

Ame was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling with unblinking eyes.

_I am a fucking lovesick fool and I hate it._

_Makes me do stupid things._

But what was done was done, and she couldn’t exactly go back to the café and throw away the éclair—plus, at that time, Isogai had surely received it already.

_Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot—_

‘TING’

She stiffened as the noise echoed in the room for a few seconds. Then, slowly, almost afraid to see, Ame picked up her phone and activated it. The message she just received was from Isogai, and dread churned in her guts as she read over the few lines of the message—

**“Thank you for the wonderful gift, Ame-san! I’ll be sure to return the favor once White Day comes around. Please, look forward to it!”**

**—Isogai Y.**

Relief flooded her chest. So he hadn’t figured it out, uh? Glad this was finally over with, Ame quickly typed back a reply.

**“Glad you liked it. I’m not that good with this kind of stuff, so I’m just happy I didn’t mess it up. Thank you for being there for me this entire year, and for helping me out so many times. If you want anything else, just tell me!”**

**—Naoki A.**

He took an insanely long time to reply, to the point where Ame half-seriously wondered if he had somehow fallen asleep while typing. Just as she put down her own phone, a tad disappointed, it rang again, signaling a new message.

**“How about you give it directly to me next year? That way, we’ll be able to share it.”**

**—Isogai Y.**

Ame’s brain fizzled, popped, and blanked out for a solid ten seconds as she slowly connected the dots. Then, her face started burning as she hastily wrote an aloof reply of “sure, why not” and “you can count on it”, not really thinking straight.

_Next year… Share it…_

Even if they were parting ways, both in education and in life, he still saw her in his future—and, be it as his friend or as… something else, it made her incredibly happy. So, it was with a silly, goofy smile that Ame finally went to sleep, no longer dreading the next day and all of the complicated emotions it’d drag along.


	38. Thirty-Eighth Period: Stepping Up Time

“You’re _what?”_

“I’m moving out.”

“Oh.”

Ame didn’t really know what else to say. Even if she wasn’t as close to Itona as she was to Rio, or even Karma, she had spent the last few months living with the boy—it was kind of hard not to consider him as another sibling after all this time.

“My father finally came back—said all of his debts had been settled and that we could live together again,” he explained as he packed his back. His voice was neutral, but there was a slight tremble to it, betraying his actual happiness at the prospect of going to live with his father again. “So, I’m moving out.”

“I- I see.”

_Damn it… Everyone truly is parting ways, aren’t they? It almost feels like we’re closing in fast on some sappy epilogue…_

“Ame.” She straightened up as he looked at her, and he smiled. “Thank you, for everything. I’ll drop by again for dinner—that is, if you’ll have me.”

“Itona, this house is as much your home as it is mine,” she assured, returning his smile and lightly ruffling his hair. “Come by whenever you want, alright? Plus, a weekly dinner will be mandatory if you let the kids have their way.”

“Noted.”

* * *

.

.

“WHAT!?”

Yada sunk into her seat, a troubled look on her face. “No- nothing happened—“

“You were _assaulted._ Even if those assholes didn’t go all the way, there could have been serious trouble had Karma and the others not interfered!” exclaimed angrily Rio.

Ame rubbed her temples, closing her eyes for a moment. Yesterday, while Itona had told her about moving out, he also briefly mentioned how Yada had been assaulted by a small group of foreign men.

* * *

_A day earlier_

_._

_._

“Let- let go of me!”

_“Tche. Japanese chicks can’t even speak English.”_

_“Ah, that’s alright! We’ll just speak with our bodies instead, ah, ah!”_

“Yada-san!”

Nagisa, Karma, Itona, Terasaka, and Sugino had been walking back from school together when they heard their classmate’s pleads and panicked shouts. They didn’t hesitate in running up to the foreign men who were now holding their friend captive, seeing red.

“Oi, what the hell are you doing? Let her go!” snapped Terasaka.

 _“Sheesh, is it really too much to ask for you to speak our language?”_ grunted a man with an eyepatch.

 _“He told you to let her go,”_ translated Karma, a vein bulging on his forehead. _“You’re currently asphyxiating her with your bad breath and your sewer stench. If you keep on going like that, we’ll have to call your breeder so he can put his cattle back in their cages.”_

Karma was never one to back down from a fight, and taunting his opponents until their broke and lost control always led to him winning. In this particular case, though, his targets weren’t just angry—they were downright _pissed,_ and a heavy bloodlust started emanating from the entire little group as they glared at him.

 _Who are these guys?_ Karma was tensed, now—wary. _Assassins? They’re pretty dangerous…_

 _“Oi, redhead,”_ then called a guy with a shaved head. _“Don’t worry, we’re not going to kill her. We just want to play with her a little, and then we’ll give her back.”_

 _“We’ve made it from one side of the planet to the other for our job and we’re hungry,”_ added one of his friends, who had large sunglasses covering the higher-half of his face. _“Plus, we’ve heard that Japanese chicks are real docile—ain’t that right, sweet cheeks?”_

“Bastards…” growled Terasaka, clenching his fists.

 _“Just wait a minute,”_ then stepped in Eyepatch. _“I can’t just let that kid get away with saying stuff like that.”_ He easily towered over Karma, grinning menacingly. _“A rebellious glare and a sharp tongue… Looks like you need to be taught a lesson in manners, brat.”_

Karma glared right back, not backing down an inch as he quickly thought over the entire situation. Clearly, those guys weren’t just annoying tourists who got a little too handsy—they were dangerous, and he needed to choose his next action very carefully.

 _This guy is way more dangerous than Takaoka was… and counting his buddies, they’re six. On our side, there’s five of us. If we take them by surprise, we could take down two of them, at most… but that definitely won’t be enough to take Yada back. Also…_ He glanced to the side, briefly locking gazes with a seventh figure—a man, who was standing at the other end of the street. He sported glasses, and had a scar crossing over his left eye. _That one is probably the most dangerous out of all of them. If I’m right, then he’s probably even worst than Karasuma-sensei. Frankly… I don’t even want to imagine what would happen to us if we really pissed them off._

_“… sorry.”_

_“What!?”_

Fighting against all of his instincts, Karma lowered his eyes. _“I’m sorry, so let her go. It’s almost the end of the school year—it’s an important time for us.”_

Eyepatch’s grin simply widened. _“I want to hear you apologize in your language. I remember a few words from when I worked in Roppongi.”_

After a moment of hesitation, Karma bowed deeply. “I’m sorry. Please, accept my sincerest apologies for all of the trouble.”

After a few seconds of tension… the man burst out laughing. _“Ah, ah, ah! Don’t freak out like that, kid! I was just messing with you! From the start, we didn’t want anything with that chick of yours. Ah, ah!”_

 _“Don’t make a face like that, you look like you’re about to cry!”_ taunted Sunglasses. _“Wait, are you actually crying? Ah, ah, ah!”_

Karma didn’t rise up to take the bait, simply keeping his eyes resolutely locked onto the ground, and Yada was finally released as the group moved on, seemingly having gotten enough entertainment for the day. As they left, though, the seventh man passed by Karma.

“Sorry,” he simply said in a somewhat accentuated Japanese. “My friends can be a bit of a handful. Don’t take it to heart, alright?”

Karma didn’t reply, and the group of foreigners finally disappeared from sight.

* * *

_Back to the present day_

_._

_._

_The way Yada told us about everything, though, it almost feels like all of this was planned. Korosensei was in Canada stocking up on cans of pure maple syrup, and classes had ended just a few minutes before she was assaulted. In fact, I daresay they didn’t make their move until they knew the boys were close enough to hear her and come to her rescue… A new group of assassins? I wouldn’t have been surprised had this happened a month ago but, now, we’re barely a few days away from the deadline for the assassination. If a group of assassins is getting involved at this point in time, then they’ve most assuredly been employed by the government—in other words, they’re going to make their final move soon._

“—Ame! _Earth to Ame!”_

An eraser hit her in the forehead, snapping her back to reality, and it took her a few seconds to realize that all of the girls were now looking at her expectantly.

“What?”

“Well, what’s going on?” asked Rio.

“Why would something be going on?”

“Because you’ve got that particular look on your face,” replied Fuwa, crossing her arms over her chest. “The one that screams ‘ _I-know-there’s-something-wrong-with-the-situation’_.”

“From how deep in thoughts you were, I’m guessing that those guys weren’t just a bunch of nasty tourists,” added Okano, smiling wryly. “So, spill.”

“Hey, just because I have good instincts doesn’t mean I have all of the answers,” sweatdropped Ame, before shaking her head. “I just… I figured that those guys are bad news, is all. If I’m guessing this right, then they’re a group of assassins employed by the government.”

“So- so close to the deadline?” frowned Okuda, worried. “Then that means…”

“Aa. That means they’re about ready to make their final assassination attempt,” confirmed Kayano, a somber look on her face.

“As professionals, I doubt they would be stupid enough to make a mistake such as making direct contact with us, when we’re so close to their targets,” then pointed out Kataoka, tapping her chin. “In other words, they surely pulled that stunt to gauge our class’s strength.”

“Which means they have the advantage already,” huffed Rio, annoyed. “They know more about us than we know about them.”

“Not for long,” assured Ame, pulling out her phone. “I’ll ask Usagi to look into any foreign arrival under the employ of the government. I can’t guarantee anything, seeing as I don’t even have a picture to go by, but we should be able to find _something_ thanks to the description I got…”

“Though, we can’t do much more than wait, can we?” then pointed out Kurahashi, a tad nervously. “Even if we figure out who they are, we can’t exactly counter them until they make their move…”

“Knowledge is half-the-battle. If we know who we’re up against, we have better chances of countering them.” Ame then offered her a small, but confident smile. “Even if we don’t find anything, though, I wouldn’t worry too much. Looking at things rationally, assassins or not, they’re not allowed to harm us—we’re untouchable and they know it. Knowing this, they’ll surely attempt to plan _around_ us.”

“In other words, get us out of the way before their plan is put into action so we can’t interfere,” summarized Hayami, nodding in agreement.

“Exactly. I’ll pass along the message to everyone later, but keep an eye out for any trouble, alright? Stay on your toes, and prioritize flight over fight,” instructed Ame, now serious. “If they truly want to get us out of their way, they won’t have much time to pull it off, meaning that if we can outrun them long enough, they’ll eventually give up and focus on their master plan.”

“Sounds good.”

“Got it!”

“They won’t get us so easily!”

The situation was a tad worrying, but nothing they couldn’t handle. After all, they had faced a lot worst in the past year, and this certainly wouldn’t be the first group of assassins they’d be facing off with. Despite knowing all of this, though, there was no ignoring the painful churn of her guts as she thought about their future foes.

_This… this is going to be our hardest fight as of yet, isn’t it?_

Before she could ponder over it any longer, though, the rest of the students started coming in and settling at their desks and, a minute later, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. A moment later, Korosensei appeared at the front, beaming like a child who received his Christmas gifts a day earlier than planned.

“You all got into one of your top two schools! Congratulations!”

_Oh, right. That happened too, didn’t it?_

Ame hadn’t been all that surprised when she received a letter from Kunugigaoka announcing that she had been accepted with top marks, although she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been relieved upon learning the good news.

“Splendid job wielding those second blades of yours!” stated Korosensei, clapping his tentacles together. “You’ll all move on to high school like the twinkling stars you are. It’s a weight off my shoulders, too! Now, we were supposed to start our final career counseling but, first, there’s something I’d really like to do.” Without any warning, poppers and confetti sprayers suddenly appeared in the hands of every student, and everyone grinned at that. “What does one do, on such a joyous occasion—!?” At once, he sat down at his desk and started typing on his computer. “Editing.”

“What for!?” instantly snapped the students, who had been hyped by the thought of celebrating not a second earlier.

“I’m making a yearbook, of course—just for the E-Class!”

“Making a yearbook?” echoed Nagisa, curious.

“Yes!”

“Oh, right—we did a whole-school one,” recalled Kurahashi, tilting her head. “With Karasuma-sensei as our teacher.”

“And poor Korosensei isn’t in a single shot,” realized Yada, feeling a little bad for the octopus.

“Actually…” Everyone looked at Chiba, who cringed a bit. “He popped into a few at Mach 20 speed, just under the radar.”

“Kind of like one of those ghost photos, uh?” sweatdropped Mimura.

“Exactly! That’s why I want to use _these_ photos instead!” At once, dozens of very large stacks of pictures were dropped onto his desk. “A year of unguarded moments! These treasured selfies with all of you—thirty thousand in all!!! Now, to find the most memorable ones together…”

“When- when did he get all of these…?”

“That’s our peeping teacher for you…”

“I don’t really like looking at pictures of myself,” sighed Rio.

“Why not?” wondered Fuwa.

“My eyes are too tiny.”

“Don’t worry!” Korosensei was suddenly before her, handing her a picture—“I’ve made versions with the _‘big-eye’_ filter, too!”

“How terribly kind of you,” sweatdropped the blonde.

“Well, the official yearbook does have plenty of the usual shots,” mused Sugino.

“If we’re making another one, we can be more unconventional!” smiled happily Hara.

Korosensei’s eyes flashed at that. “Niryufufufu! Leave it to me!” He then started pulling up particular pictures for everyone to see. “Cool beauty Hayami at the pet shop…! Here’s a nighttime campus shot of Mimura on air guitar…! Princess Kataoka, trying on her royal vestments! Dainty Muramatsu, right when a cockroach scurried out! Naked Okajima, running around the grounds at night in the buff! Sleeping Naoki, with chocolate all over her face!”

Ame’s eyes widened slightly, and she instantly sunk into her seat, embarrassed. The picture at been taken at the usual café, and she had fallen asleep face-first into the chocolate cake she had ordered… She remembered that time, Isogai had woken her up with a laugh while handing her a wet tissue so she could wipe herself clean.

_Shit, I didn’t think there’d be any visual proofs left of that!!!_

“Just- just wait a second!” snapped Okajima, jumping to his feet. “So there could be some super sketchy pics of me in there!?”

“Of pretty much everyone, I daresay,” groaned Ame.

…

…

…

“FIND YOUR OWN PHOTOS, THEN GET RID OF THEM! ALL OF THEM!”

As the whole class quickly went through the pictures to get rid of the most embarrassing ones, Ame couldn’t help but tuck away a few of them, if only for the sake of using them as blackmail sometime in the future—mostly on Terasaka and Karma, though.

“Color me impressed, Korosensei,” mused Ame, looking at yet another selfie he had taken with her as she jumped from a roof. She hadn’t noticed him at all. “Hey, when the year is over, why don’t you come and work for the Zodiac? You’d be an amazing info-broker.”

“Please _don’t._ He’s already enough of a pain to deal with as a teacher,” sighed Karasuma, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Gah! I haven’t taken nearly enough photos! I was aiming for a ten-thousand-page yearbook!”

Ame sweatdropped at that. “Point to you, Karasuma-sensei.”

“Outside, class!” Korosensei was suddenly dressed in… some sort of cat suit. “We’ll dress up and get a wider variety of shots!”

_Oh, God, what did we get ourselves into?_

* * *

.

.

They spent the entire _day_ taking pictures after pictures after pictures… They put on all sorts of costumes, used all sorts of props, and Korosensei eventually got tired of on-campus photos—he literally stuffed them all into a giant bag before taking them onto an impromptu voyage around the entire world in order to take pictures in other countries.

All in all, it was a wonderful day—and, at the end of it all, Ame finally had an answer to give.

“So? Did you finally decide what you wanted to do, Naoki-san?”

The girl simply smiled. “Aa. I want to become the Leader of the Zodiac, but I’ll also study to become a lawyer in criminology.”

“I see. And what are your plans as future Leader, then?”

“… Thanks to you, I’ve learned to use my skills not only for myself, but for others. I don’t see myself becoming some kind of hero, but… sitting still as bad things keep on happening all over the world just doesn’t sit right with me anymore. Working for the highest bidder, never asking questions, never even wondering if what we’re doing might have consequences…” She straightened up, meeting his gaze with determination. “I’m done with taking my life for granted, and I’m done acting ignorant when I already know more than most. With my power as future Leader of the Zodiac… I’m going to turn this world upside-down, Korosensei! So you better watch carefully as I rise to the top!”

“Niryufufufu! Wonderful to hear, Naoki-san.” His grin then widened slightly. “Though, as per usual, you gave me an answer without truly giving me one… As expected of a professional info-broker, I suppose. In any case, I look forward to watching you grow even more, Naoki-san.”

She simply grinned, offering a thumbs’ up. “You can count on it!”

* * *

.

.

As amazing as the day had been, and as happy as Ame felt, there was a simple life lesson that she had still yet to grasp fully: _good things aren’t meant to last._

“You can’t be serious,” she choked out, pale.

Usagi readjusted his glasses, nodding somberly. “Unfortunately, I am. The man your friends encountered is Craig Houjou, a legendary mercenary known who earned himself the title of _Divine Soldier._ He has years of experience under his belt, and he specializes in guerilla warfare and intelligence gathering. He’s also the leader of a group of mercenaries known as the Wolfpack and, while his subordinates are nowhere near his level, they’re still a considerable threat. Ame… I’m sorry, but you and your friends don’t stand a chance against this guy. If he’s really in charge of leading the final assault on your teacher, then you ought to give up—“

“Like hell we will!” she snapped, gritting her teeth. “Damn it! This is bad… But we’re not giving up! Now that I know who we’re up against, I can tell everyone and we’ll plan things accordingly—and don’t you _dare_ bring Saru into this! This is _my_ fight, Usagi— _our_ fight!” She exhaled deeply, her shoulders slumping a little. “If the E-Class can’t make it now… then all of this will have been for _naught,_ and we’ll regret it for the rest of our lives.”

“… okay. Okay, I get it. And even while knowing that you’re emotionally involved in this mess, I trust you enough to know what your limits and those of your classmates are. If you actually think you can make it, then I’ll believe in you.”

She relaxed slightly at that, relieved. “Thank you. A- anyway, I should head home, now. I’ll contact you as soon as everything’s been settled, alright?”

“Got it. Just… be careful, okay?”

“Promise. See you later!”

Usagi startled a bit as she left, his eyes going wide as he processed what she just told him. A few months ago, her normal answer would have been “ _no promises”,_ but now…

_Good luck, Ame. If that teacher of yours managed to make you learn to care for yourself, then he’s truly a man worth fighting for._

* * *

.

.

Ame was almost home when it happened—the gigantic spear of golden light that pierced through the sky and directly hit the E-Class’s mountain, that is. Her eyes went wide with horror as she realized that they had underestimated the government’s determination to eradicate their monster teacher—they were acting _now._

_Shit! Gotta warn everyone ASAP—uh?_

She stiffened upon realizing that her phone was dead. Or rather, it was completely unresponsive. For one reason or the other, it wasn’t working, meaning she couldn’t get in touch with her friends, and she had a seriously weird feeling of déjà-vu. Before she could ponder over it any longer, though, she sensed movement to her right and instantly dropped to the ground, effectively avoiding being caught by a silent assailant.

_Oh crap, they came after me first! If I get caught here, no one will know until it’s too late!_

She jumped to her feet, ready to make a run for it, but two more men appeared before her, effectively cutting off the more direct escape route. Undeterred, she threw four real knives at them and kept on running, determined to forcibly make her way through. However, contrarily to most of the opponents she faced in the past… they didn’t underestimate her. Easily deflecting her knives, they didn’t so much as flinch when she got close enough to hit and swung another knife at them. Just as the blade was about to connect with the first guy’s face, a wheezing sound echoed and a metallic wire suddenly wrapped itself around her wrist, effectively stopping her before she could land a blow.

“Shit—!”

She moved, putting some distance between the three men and herself, and she attempted to cut the wire, but it was too solid. Another wire suddenly shot out, wrapping itself around her right ankle—then another, around her left wrist, and a fourth one, around her left ankle. Two mores wires wrapped themselves around her upper body as her arms were suddenly pulled in opposite directions, effectively immobilizing her. Losing her balance, she dropped to the ground with a small ‘THUD’, and winced as sharp pain and blood filled her mouth.

_Crap, bit my tongue…_

Leather boots appeared in her line of sight, and she looked up. A man with slicked-back hair, rectangular glasses, a scar over his left eye, and a confident smirk—Craig Houjou.

“You’re good, girl—but not good enough.”

“Wow, high praises from a legendary mercenary,” she grunted, struggling a bit. The bindings were too tight, though, and she could hardly move a finger. “Why target me first?”

“Because we know who you are, Naoki Ame, just like you know who I am. Out of all of the students in the E-Class, you represent the greatest risk—targeting you first was simply a rational decision.”

“First, uh? So we were right, you’re trying to get rid of the E-Class so we won’t interfere with your plan,” she grunted, annoyed. She then smirked. “Though, try as you might to keep us away, _it won’t work._ We’re going to save Korosensei, and if we have to kick your ass to do that, then we will!”

“Enough. Let’s go.”

She was roughly pulled up from the pavement she had been lying on, and a gag was suddenly shoved into her mouth as a cloth was wrapped over her eyes. She didn’t even try to fight it, well aware that it would be completely useless at that point, and she simply decided to bide her time and gather all of the information she could on the assassination before making her move.

_Though, here’s hoping the others won’t get caught as easily…_

* * *

.

.

“OI! What do you mean, _no trespassing!?”_

It didn’t take long for the E-Class to gather together. Although it was the middle of the night, they weren’t about to just wait on the sidelines as the government finally made their move. However, it quickly became evident that they had planned everything down to the last detail: there were soldiers everywhere, the Prime Minister had already made a statement explaining the situation and declaring Korosensei a threat to humanity—all the while lying through his teeth, of course—and, most importantly, they weren’t allowed access to the mountain.

“Everyone! Did you see the news?” exclaimed Isogai. “We need to—“

At once, blinding light was shone upon them as journalists noticed them.

“Look, look!”

“Could this be the students that have been threatened by that monstrous teacher?”

“You’re those junior-high hostages, right?”

“Excuse me, how do you feel right now?”

“You must be relieved to hear that he’s been captured!”

“What was it like, spending a whole year ruled by a teacher who could explode at any second?”

“What’s this about him forcing you to perform sham assassinations?”

“SHUT UP!” Muramatsu was the first to snap. “It’s none of your business!”

“We have it on good authority that there’s less than a one-percent chance of the Earth being destroyed!” assured firmly Yada. “He’s not dangerous—put _that_ on TV!”

“He’s not the evil teacher they’re saying he is!” pleaded Kurahashi, teary-eyed.

“Aw, did that monster tell you to say that?” replied a female journalist in a gentle tone. “How awful it must have been. You can tell us the truth, now.” She then turned to face the camera. “ _These_ are the innocent children that monster used as hostages!”

 _Why are they pitying us? Why won’t they listen to us?_ Thought the students, desperate.

“Enough! You have no permission to film here.” Relief washed over the E-Class as Karasuma appeared, herding away the noise journalists and cameras. “Leave at once!”

“But- but what about our duty to report the truth!?” protested the woman from earlier.

“And terrify junior-high students for sheer entertainment value? Some duty!” snapped back the special agent. “By the authority of the Defense Agency, this area is off-limits. In the interest of public safety, I’m asking you to leave!”

“Come on, let’s go!” suddenly urged Isogai, nudging a few of his classmates. “We have to go!”

Before either Karasuma or the journalists could stop them, the students made a run for it. As they started running, Isogai pulled out his phone.

“Ritsu! Can you direct us to wherever Ame is?”

“Right away!”

* * *

.

.

They ran for over fifteen minutes, before they finally reached a street devoid of any civilians. It was still pretty dark outside, saved for the glowing dome now surrounding the top of the E-Class mountain, and a strange sense of unease settled in Isogai’s guts as he looked around.

“Ritsu, where’s Ame?”

“According to my calculations, she’s heading right for you,” assured the program. “She’ll reach your location in exactly three minutes and forty seconds.”

Isogai relaxed a little at that, though just barely. “Alright, let’s take a look at the situation: guards have been posted all around the dome without leaving a single opening.”

“They want to isolate Korosensei,” nodded Takebayashi. “They don’t want those stupid journalists to get anywhere close—potential terrorists, too. And us, of course. All of the military bases are ready to send reinforcements if needed and, tomorrow, the chances of us making it into the dome will be zero.”

“In other words, we’ll have to jump right into it—tonight,” summarized darkly Karma.

“Pretty much,” sighed Sugino.

“And after that, we’ll explain the situation to everyone!” added Yada, confident. “We’ll tell them exactly what happened, and how we feel, and—!”

It all happened in the span of a few seconds. One moment, they were all standing around and discussing the matter at hands—the next, two sleek black vans pulled up on each side of the street, effectively cornering the students. In the blink of an eye, all of the students had been pulled into the vans and whisked away without leaving a single trace behind.

* * *

“What is wrong with you!?”

“Let us go!”

“Ooh? You were pretty fast. Good work, Houjou.”

“As requested, I captured all of them without leaving a single scratch on them, commander.”

Tied up and blinded, all of the students were dragged out of the vans and into some sort of room and, as soon as the blindfolds were taken off, Karma and a few others instantly recognized their assailants as the men who assaulted Yada just a day earlier.

“Where- where are we…?” asked hesitantly Kanzaki.

“In the H.Q. of this operation,” answered the Commander, who was standing before them with his head held high. “We borrowed this building to the Defense Agency. You, dear students, will be staying here under our surveillance until we’ve eliminated this monster once and for all. Of course, we’ve warned your parents already—told them that we were keeping you under protective custody, uh, uh.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me…” growled Terasaka.

“Do- do what you want with us but please, don’t kill Korosensei!” pleaded Hara. “You don’t have any reason to! The probability of him exploding is less than one percent!”

“Ah, you’re still children, so you couldn’t possibly understand,” sighed the Commander in a condescending voice. “No matter the probability, the world is asking us to kill him. The slightest threat could trigger an incident on a global scale that no one would be able to handle. So long as the risk isn’t an absolute zero, people will be scared, and chaos will keep on spreading. Plus, even if the probability is less than one percent, it’s still too great a number for us to risk putting this entire planet in danger.” He then put on a falsely gentle expression, as if he was talking to a bunch of babies. “And don’t you know? In his previous life, that monster was a cruel, bloodthirsty assassin. Who knows what he might do if we let him live? I mean, just think about all of the people he already killed… Ah!” He pushed up his glasses, smirking. “He’s only getting what he deserves— _ack_!!!”

Terasaka had heard enough and, always the hotheaded one, he didn’t hesitate in bringing up his leg and slamming his foot right into the man’s face, breaking his nose and cracking his glasses at the same time.

“STOP TALKING AS IF YOU KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT DUMB OCTOPUS! AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, TO TALK ABOUT STUFF LIKE THAT!? WE DON’T EVEN KNOW YOUR FRICKING NAME!”

“You little brat! My name is—“

“Ooh, it looks like that monster brainwashed you and is currently mentally manipulating you,” mused Craig. “All the more dangerous to let you run amuck. Men, take them away.”

“Yes, sir!”

“My duty is to watch over the dome to ensure that parasites like you can’t make it into the school,” concluded the leader. “So stay put if you don’t want to get hurt, kids.”

“W- wait!” As the subordinates started dragging them away, Isogai called out to him. “You- you have Ame-san’s phone, don’t you? What did you do to her?”

It was a logical assumption. Ritsu had been telling him about how Ame had been closing in on their location, but only those vans had shown up. Adding that to the fact that she hadn’t tried to contact any of them yet, and that she hadn’t shown up at the mountain when everyone else did…

“Your little friend is safe,” simply replied Craig, visibly uncaring. “We simply neutralized her first in order to avoid further unnecessary complications.”

He didn’t say anything else after that, and Isogai was then taken away with the rest of the students, all of them sharing a single thought:

_This is bad!_

* * *

They were stripped of their clothes and their belongings in order to ensure that they weren’t hiding any weapons. Once they got dressed into bland, matching uniforms that reminded them of hospital wear, they were all shoved into a large room filled with couches and pillows, a large TV, and even a bunch of food and drink distributors.

Oh, and of course, there was Ame.

“Oh, great. Now this party can _really_ get going. I mean, the guards are real spoilsports and won’t bring me some much-needed _sake,_ but we can still have some fun,” drawled the girl, leaning into one of the couches. “Not that I minded having the TV to myself, though—we don’t have one like that, back at home. Too expensive.”

“Ame-san… Are you okay?” asked hesitantly Isogai.

“Physically? A little bruised, but that’ll be gone by morning. Mentally?” Her expression turned dark. “I’m _pissed._ I _knew_ something was going to happen, I _knew_ we’d be targeted, and yet I still went out on my own without even contacting one of you first. Hell, had I stayed at the headquarters, I could have warned all of you from a distance, and we could have planned things properly! Ugh, I’m so mad at myself right now!”

“It’s not your fault, Ame,” assured Rio, dropping on the couch next to her. “You might know a lot of stuff, but you can’t know _everything.”_

“Though, now we’re stuck here,” grunted Terasaka.

Everyone fell unbearably silent at that. They were all trying to think of a way to escape, to figure out a plan to make it out and save Korosensei… but hope was dim, for not saying nonexistent. Though, as they all slowly sunk into a heavy, defeated silence, the door suddenly slid open.

“Karasuma-sensei!” gasped Mimura.

“You came!” cheered Kurahashi.

“Karasuma-sensei, please, let us out of here,” instantly asked Nagisa. “Let us go back to school!”

“Right! You can make them release us, can’t you?” nodded Kimura.

“… you find yourselves in this position because of your impatience.” Karasuma’s expression was tensed, and it was easy to guess that he was pained by his current position. “I can no longer help you. If you wanted to go there, you should have waited for the moment when all of the soldiers would be in position. It would have made less of a racket, and some soldiers would even have lowered their guard. Had you waited at least five days… you probably would have been able to slip through their defenses.” Ame wasn’t even looking at him, but she was paying _sharp_ attention as he shared with them some much-needed information. “Of course, even if you had managed to get through the security perimeter that’s been set up at the base of the mountain, you would have been caught before reaching the dome. The elite soldiers who captured you are keeping watch over the mountain. It’s a mercenary group called the Wolfpack, and those guys are specialists in guerrilla warfare and sabotage. There’s no more than thirty of them, but they’re all feared in the mountainous zones and the forests across the entire world. Even with little numbers, they’re capable of protecting an entire mountain. Also, their leader is none other than Craig Houjou, also known under the alias of _Divine Soldier._ He’s capable of killing a lion with his bare hands, and he has fought on numerous battlefields all over the planet. It’s the most powerful mercenary in the world.” Karasuma lowered his head at that, visibly conflicted. “I only briefly crossed paths with him earlier, and he’s even worst than I imagined. He’s at least three times stronger than me. If you make him angry, then you won’t stand a chance. As such, you’d be better off giving up now—“

“Never!” Nagisa finally snapped. “There are still so many things we haven’t told Korosensei yet! So many things we want to tell him, and so many experiences we want to share with him! So please, I’m begging you, let us go—“

Without any warning, Karasuma grabbed him by the collar, lifted him up, and slammed him into the ground. The soldiers who had been keeping a careful watch on Karasuma to ensure he wouldn’t try and help the students all flinched, unsure of whether or not they should interfere, and a thunderous expression fell upon the special agent’s face.

“If the government decided that you wouldn’t get out of here, then you’re not getting out of here,” he hissed between his teeth. “Listen to me closely, Nagisa: don’t give me a hard time! Got it?”

“Stop trying, Nagisa,” then called out Karma, unamused. “In the end, he’s just another pawn of society—he’ll listen to anything his superiors say to save his own skin.”

“Exactly,” confirmed simply Karasuma, releasing the blue-haired boy. “If you don’t have a good social position, then you can’t protect anyone in the most critical moments.” He then turned around, obviously intending to leave it at that. “Plus, if I’m to act on my own conviction, then I believe it would be best for us to kill that monster. Now, think this over with cool heads for the next three days, understood?”

No one answered, and he left, along with the soldiers. As soon as the students were left alone once again, Terasaka hit the wall out of frustration.

“Gah! Damn this Karasuma! He betrayed us!”

“Dumbass,” snorted Ame. “What he did was simply a long-winded way of giving us all of the information we need in order to plan our rescue.”

“What?”

“You’re- you’re right! The time, the security details, the info about the leader,” summarized Fuwa, counting on her fingers. “We actually have everything we need!”

“Plus, he asked us not to give him a hard time,” pointed out Nagisa. “Just yesterday, he told us: _if I find myself having a hard time, I’ll believe in you without hesitation._ In other words, he believes in us and is leaving the matter into our hands. He’s in a different position than us, but he’ll give us as much information as he can, and he’ll respect our decision. That’s why we need to think over what we want to do, and how to do it—together.”

“We have three days left,” announced Ame, stretching her arms as she rose to her feet. She then grinned. “So, let’s get started: we have a _lot_ of stuff to plan.”

* * *

None of the students wanted Korosensei to die, but what they wanted the most was to see their teacher at least one last time. So, with that goal in mind, they started carefully planning. Of course, said plan was founded on the assumption that they would be out of the facility in three days, but they decided to trust Karasuma and leave that particular matter to him.

They spent the following two days planning everything out, memorizing the landscapes, the hand signals, the contingency plans—and of course, all of that while keeping up with their physical training. Thankfully enough, the soldiers were rather loose in their surveillance, so they never noticed what the students were up to.

Then, on the third day, as everyone started wondering just how they were supposed to make it out of the facility—

“Hey, everyone~! I was so worried about you!”

—their forgotten ally showed up. They all perked up as none other than Irina Jelavic entered the room, escorted by two soldiers, but their good mood quickly plummeted as she grabbed the nearest student—in that case, Takebayashi—and gave him a full-mouthed kiss. Not wasting any time, she then moved on and also kissed Nagisa, Kanzaki, Yada, and Mimura, before the soldiers finally interfered and dragged her out.

“See you later, kids~!”

On which the sexy assassin was escorted out of the room, and Kayano turned to Nagisa, flushing a deep red.

“What- what did she do that for!?”

However, all misunderstanding was cleared up as, at once, the five students that had been kissed spat out various objects, which Takebayashi, Okuda, and Ame instantly recognized.

“Everything we need to make our own explosives, uh?” grinned the info-broker. “Looks like we’re getting out of here tonight, after all. Get ready, everyone! As soon as the sun is down, we’re moving!”

“Right!!!”

* * *

.

.

The explosion was fast and soundless. In a matter of seconds, all of the students had snuck out of the facility using the backdoor, and Ame was both astounded and pleased by the fact that people in charge obviously didn’t consider them enough of a threat to even bother putting up at least a few surveillance cameras. Using the hand-made map Irina had provided them with, they easily found their way outside, where none other than their sexy teacher was waiting.

“Took you long enough,” she mused, half-serious. “To think I gave you a map with the best escape route, too.”

“Bitch-sensei, why are you helping us?” asked curiously Yada.

“Karasuma asked me to. Seduce the soldiers keeping watch took me more time than I expected. I had to talk with them for a pretty long time in their lounge, until I gathered enough information to figure out the best escape route possible,” she explained with a light shrug. She then averted her eyes, a tad embarrassed. “Plus, you’re also my students, in case you forgot—I couldn’t possibly stand aside while some unknown government schmucks stole your kill.”

“Still, what _I_ want to know is how you managed to fit all of that stuff in your mouth,” then pointed out Sugino, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. “The explosive parts, the map…”

“Her seduction techniques are really scary,” paled Mimura.

“In any case, the laser will be fired just before midnight,” warned Irina, carefully avoiding giving an answer. “I don’t know how this is all going to end… but tomorrow is the graduation ceremony. In other words, this is your last class. So, give it everything you’ve got.”

“Right!”

“Got it!”

“Everyone, go back home and gear up right away!” instantly instructed Isogai. “They’ll soon notice we’ve managed to escape, so we have to make our move before they tighten the security perimeter around the mountain!”

As everyone started running, Kataoka looked back at Irina with a grin. “Bitch-sensei! Come join us at the top with Karasuma-sensei! You’re also two teachers we really care about, after all!”

At first startled, a gentle, delighted smile then graced Irina’s face. “Understood.”

* * *

.

.

**“Ame, Ritsu told us—“**

“I’m fine, got kidnapped, managed to escape, but I don’t have much time,” she cut Hana off as she finished zipping up the camo suit. “They’re going to fire a laser that’ll erase Korosensei from the map in a little less than four hours. Is there _any_ way Usagi can stop it? Or at least, stall it for a little longer?”

 **“Already tried, but hacking into it without inside support is impossible,”** simply replied Usagi, and she could hear the scowl in his voice. **“And it’s not connected to the research station you infiltrated, so I can’t use that. Sorry.”**

“No, no, it’s fine, I just had to ask—to make sure.” She dragged out her weapon bag from under the bed. “I’ll call you guys back as soon as this is over.”

**“Ame, what’s on the news—“**

“We’ll deal with this later. Right now, our priority is to save Korosensei—“

“A- Ame-nee…?”

She stiffened, her back still turned to the door, before her shoulders slumped. “Gotta go.”

**“Good luck.”**

Nodding, she ended the call, before finally turning around. In the doorway stood none other than Kiba and, while she was glad it wasn’t one of the younger kids—because God knows they’d have already woken up the entire household—she was also worried. He was the most headstrong and stubborn of their little family, and if he refused to listen to her…

“What- what we saw on the news—that monster—“

“He’s not a monster,” she cut off, a tad more sharply than she first intended. Seeing his frightened expression, though, she softened a little. “He’s my _teacher,_ Kiba—has been since the beginning of the year. I can’t go into the details right now, because that would breach a stupid contract I signed a few months ago, but I _can_ tell you this: he _is_ dangerous, but he would _never_ hurt us—or anyone, for that matter. He cares about us, and we care about him.” She offered a tentative smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. “And you know me, Kiba. I might do dumb stuff from time to time, but I’m not stupid. Just trust me on this, alright?”

“… I know. I know, and I do trust you, Ame-nee—more than those jerks on TV that keep on calling you and your friends _deranged_ and _traumatized_ and whatnot…” He lowered his head, thinking things over for a few seconds, before noticing the camo suit she was wearing. “You… you’re going to try and save him, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. My friends and I… we can’t just let it end like this.”

He nodded, visibly still worried, but he had relaxed. “Just… don’t get hurt, okay? I’ll tell Obaa-san not to worry, but you gotta _promise_ to stay in one piece, okay?”

“I swear.” She brought him into a tight hug, before quickly releasing him. “I don’t have much time left. I’ll be back tomorrow, okay?”

He simply nodded again, and she wasted no more time, quickly pulling out whatever weapon she could get her hands on and strapping them on. After a brief moment of hesitation, she even strapped the katana to her back. Then, quickly turning around, she climbed over the windowsill, before shooting one last look at Kiba, who was still standing in the doorway. This time, though, his expression mirrored her own determination.

“Go kick their asses, Ame-nee!”

Surprised, she then offered him a feral grin. “You got it.”

* * *

.

.

“I’m relieved to see that everyone is alright!” greeted cheerfully Ritsu from Itona’s laptop. “While you were all sequestered, I took the liberty of observing and analyzing the situation from the skies!”

All of that thanks to the automatized drone recharges Itona had set up on the roof of the main building of Kunugigaoka. He had been planning on using the drones in an assassination attempt against Korosensei but, as it was, they’d be useful in another way entirely.

“The only way to cross the blockade of soldiers set up around the mountain is through that sole opening, right on the other side—we can reach it in the town next over,” explained Isogai while everyone quickly memorized the maps they were handed. “Let’s all meet up there in an hour top! We don’t have much more time left… It’ll be our last chance to get inside!”

“Aah!”

As soon as the signal was given, Ame took off. She quickly got in the lead, more used to parkour than the rest of her classmates, and she had a special mission of her own—a small task given specifically to her by Karma, just a few minutes earlier.

 _Craig Houjou…_ Her eyes hardened at the thought of the mercenary. _You’ll regret the day you ever stood up to the E-Class!_

* * *

_Forty-two minutes later_

_._

.

Ame could hear them—the screams, the gunshots. The E-Class was working its magic, taking out one mercenary after the other and they made it look _easy,_ damn it. Herself had managed to infiltrate the mountain about fifteen minutes earlier, doing her best to go completely undetected as she made a beeline for the leader of the Wolfpack, who whom she knew the exact location thanks to Ritsu.

::

_“Ame, you were targeted first and separately from the rest. In other words, Houjou considered you to be the greatest threat in our class—most probably thanks to that all that time your name spent on the Dark List.”_

_“Let me guess: you want me to bait him.”_

_“Pretty much. The only way to beat a guy like that is to completely overwhelm him before he can be given the chance to react, and_ that _can only work if he’s entirely focused on the greatest threat. So, you’ll need to go ahead of the class and do two things.”_

::

_There are many things that distinguish our class from this merry group of hardcore mercenaries. First is, of course, our hard-earned knowledge of our surroundings. This mountain, this forest… We spent an entire year exploiting every single of its layouts in order to corner our target._

“Mon- monsters!”

“They’re monsters!”

“How many of them are there!?”

_Second, there’s the fact that we all laid out numerous traps over the course of the year—many of which were never triggered by Korosensei. And, while they were never meant to be used on humans, there’s no denying that they’re quite useful._

“Argh!”

“Careful of the trap wires—ack!”

“A- a net!?”

 _And third, last but not least: our motivation. They’re only motivated to fulfill their mission for the sake of pride and recognition—_ we _are aiming to save someone we care about. In other words, we’re fighting because we have everything to lose, meaning_ no one _can stop us._

 **“What’s your status, Ame?”** asked Karma, his voice crackling over the wireless radio.

“I’ve been tailing them for exactly four minutes. Is it time?”

**“Aah. Get to it.”**

“Understood.”

::

_“First, you have to isolate him completely.”_

::

Without wasting a second, Ame pulled out her gun and aimed it directly at the two goons who stuck to closely to Houjou’s side. She fired twice, hitting her targets right in the napes of their uncovered necks—the somniferous drug in the needles she fired instantly took them out. They collapsed on the ground with gurgling sounds… but she was already gone, taking off running at neck-breaking speed as soon as she fired her two shots.

::

_“And second?”_

_“Second? You’ve got to outrun him long enough to lure him into our trap. Think you can make it?”_

::

She had been picked for that particular mission for two reasons: one, because she and probably Kimura were the only ones in the class fast enough to actually manage that task—and she had greater experience in escaping lethal pursuits than her classmate; and two, because she was the only one Craig had singled out. He’d bet on her actively challenging him on her own and would take the bait blindly—had it been anyone else, he would have instantly suspected teamwork.

 _Had this been a few months earlier, I would have definitely been the kind of person who’d try to take him out on my own. As I am now, though… I know better—but_ he _doesn’t know that._

It was only natural to assume she’d act out on her own—talented and powerful people tended to prefer acting on their own terms and on their lonesome. However, Ame had grown a lot in the past year, and that’s why she now had the upper hand.

_Well, I say that, but he’s catching up pretty fast!_

She accelerated the pace, painfully aware of how he was slowly closing in on her like a predator about to catch his prey. However, she knew the forest by heart, and she had long since learned how to outrun beasts driven by their instincts. At that point, she barely felt her feet hitting the branches, or the wind whipping her air—all she could feel was her blood pumping, full of adrenaline, and the heavy bloodlust clinging to the mercenary that was hot on her heels.

“Incoming!” she hissed into her radio.

**“We’re ready.”**

Exactly four seconds later, she burst into the clearing where the rest of her classmates had laid out their trap. Making a few barrels on the ground, she let out a yelp as she sensed a spike of killing intent and, without thinking, she sprung into a cartwheel—just barely managing to escape the blow Houjou had just been about to land on her. Just as he was about to attack her again, though, the rest of the E-Class made their move at once.

Hayami and Chiba fired somniferous needles.

Karma and Kimura attacked directly with stun-guns.

Sugino started throwing heavy rocks with his pitching skills.

Okano, Kurahashi, and Hara all activated large flashlights, instantly blinding him.

Then, the rest of the class joined in on the fun, moving one after the other with stun-guns, Tasers, drug-laced blades, and all other sorts of projectiles.

Just as they had learned during the year, they used simultaneous hit-and-run tactics to overwhelm him and completely force him into a defensive position. Seeing as he was three times as strong as Karasuma, running away would only lead to him catching them and taking them out, and outright provoking him into hand-to-hand combat would likely result in serious injuries, and maybe a casualty or two. Mindful of their every move, they coordinated their attacks one after the other, careful and patient and waiting for the perfect time to strike—

Nothing.

Houjou’s eyes widened as all of the students suddenly stopped attacking at once but, before he could even think of what to do next, a noise behind him caught his attention. He whirled around, ready to punch the damn brat who was trying to get the jump on him—

‘CLAP’

The sound echoed in the now eerily silent clearing, and Houjou froze, instantly paralyzed by the stun-clap Ame had just done centimeters away from his face, while hanging upside-down to the branch of the tree behind him. Not wasting a second, Nagisa and Karma instantly pounced on the paralyzed mercenary and, without two synchronized, powerful hits to the head, they managed to take him out at last.

“Ah, wait, he’s still moving!” gasped fearfully Kayano.

On which Terasaka, Yoshida, and Muramatsu instantly moved in to tie him up from head to toe, ensuring he wouldn’t be able to move and come after them any time soon. Once absolutely certain the threat had been entirely dealt with, the students finally allowed themselves to relax a little. A tad breathless, Ame leaned against the trunk of the tree, closing her eyes for a second.

“Good work out there, Ame-san.”

She cracked an eye open, glancing at Isogai while smiling a bit. “Thanks. You guys did great, too.”

“Yes, well, we’re not the ones who had that legendary mercenary hot on their heels,” he mused.

“Maybe, but you still had to deal with most of the mercenaries in there. You—“

“Alright, you two, if you’re quite done flirting?” called out Karma, half-teasingly. The two in question instantly flushed red, spluttering out incoherent answers. “In case you’ve forgotten, there’s an octopus waiting for us up there. Let’s get moving~.”

Ame settled for glaring at Rio, guessing the blonde had ended up spilling the beans to Karma, but her friend simply shook her head with a knowing grin—she didn’t tell him anything.

_Damn it, am I really that unsubtle?_

_Wait, no! I wasn’t even flirting in the first place, damn it!_

Shaking her head with frustration, she fell in step with the rest of the students, all of them now headed for the top of the mountain.

They had one last class to attend, and Ame wouldn’t skip that one for the world.


	39. Thirty-Ninth Period: Last Lesson Time

“I could tell by the sound—that you won against a formidable enemy. You’ve really gotten far, class. You’ve grown.”

“Korosensei!!!”

As soon as the shock of having actually succeeded wore off, the students rushed inside the dome to go join their teacher. Ame heaved out a small sigh of relief upon realizing that they still had some time left until the laser was fired, and that their plan had gone without a hitch, for once. The thought made her smile inwardly, though.

_Of course it worked—we’re used to planning against a super-creature who can escape from any pinch, so we’ve gotten used to formulating all sorts of contingency plans on the spot. In the end, as formidable as Craig Houjou was, he simply can’t compare to Korosensei._

“I see,” mused Korosensei once everyone finished explaining the situation. All eyes turned to the night sky, in which shone a faint, red light. “That’s the light of the laser… So they’ll be firing it just before midnight. That much power would even shut down my Absolute Defense Form.”

“No way!” gasped Kataoka.

“Korosensei, let’s find a way out of here!” urged Kurahashi. “We’ll be your hostages—or whatever it takes!”

“There’s no stopping that laser now—not when people know I’m out there.” Everyone tensed up a little at that. “Even if I don’t explode, you can’t expect all these nations not to be afraid of a creature like me. Sooner or later, they’ll want to snuff me out. It’s only reasonable—“

“It’s _not,”_ snapped Ame, gritting her teeth. “We can find a way out of here, and then we can simulate your death! You’ll go into hiding, and we’ll- we’ll figure something out! Anything!”

“Naoki-san, you know as well as I do that it wouldn’t work,” replied gently the octopus.

She instantly lowered her head at that, gritting her teeth.

_Damn it…_

“There might have been a way if only we’d acted sooner…” choked out Fuwa, clenching her fists. “Like breaking the barrier projectors, or making the rounds online and on TV to plead our case!”

“How? You were sequestered for the last few days, if I’ve heard correctly,” pointed out Korosensei, unperturbed. “And that would have gotten you labeled even more dangerous, and you might have been placed under stricter surveillance. Besides, the projectors have impregnable defenses. There are anti-aircraft weapons in place if I so much as throw a rock at them. With your current capabilities and equipment, you’d likely get caught along the way.” His face turned orange, with an approving circle. “ _That_ is how perfect this plan was. They spared nothing, pouring in teach and time and people. This assassination, this crystallization of the world’s wisdom and efforts, surpasses my own abilities, for which I offer my respect and am honored to have been its target.”

“But then… then, all our hard work getting here—that was all for naught?” wondered Yada, saddened.

“Is anything ever truly wasted, Yada-san?” mused Korosensei. “You went all the way to space to find out that the probability of my exploding was less than one percent. That brought the light back to a darkly sinking E-Class, and the month that followed was short, but very sweet. That process, your hearts—that’s what’s important.” He placed a tentacle over his tie—under which they knew his heart was hidden. “You used every last bit of what you learned to come see me. As a teacher, there can be no greater happiness.”

“… so what if time’s up?” Terasaka clenched his fist, glaring. “It’s just one percent! That’s a risk we’ll take—and gladly! Why won’t the government and the rest of them hear us out, when _we’re_ the ones who’ve been closest to you!? This octopus… Okay, he’s a perv, but he’s not _dangerous_!

“ _We won’t listen to what those kids have to say. We’ll just pity them instead_ ,” mimicked Hazama, scowling. “It’s downright insulting.”

“Like we can shut up and take this…” grunted Muramatsu.

Yoshida nodded, also glaring. “Next time I see those goons, I’m gonna—“

At once, Korosensei appeared before the four students, using his tentacles to make them look at him. They spluttered, taken aback by his sudden movement, and he chuckled lightly.

“Terasaka-kun, and all of you… Let me give you a piece of advice.” He suddenly reappeared at the front of the entire group, so everyone could see him. “As you go through life, the mighty current of society is bound to get in your way, and there will certainly be times things won’t go as you’d hoped. When this happens, do not look to society for a cause. Do not renounce society. Frankly, you’d be wasting your time. Instead, just say _‘That’s life!’_ and muddle your way through with frustration. Once you’re past it, consider: if society’s swift current is tossing you around, how should you be swimming there in its midst? You should have learned how, here in the E-Class, in this assassination classroom. You don’t always have to stand and face it head-on. You can run, and you can hide. If it’s not against the rules, you can try a sneak attack. You can use unconventional weapons. Stay determined—not impatient nor discouraged—and with repeated trial and error, you’re bound to reach a splendid outcome eventually.” His smile then widened, if possible. “That’s because each and every one of you is a top-tier assassin who can do just that.”

“… geez.” Terasaka lowered his head, giving in. “A lesson, really? Now?”

“Niryufufufu! Now’s the time for this particular lesson,” confirmed Korosensei. “An educator never misses an opportunity to teach. But, you know, for you to try so whole-heartedly to save me…” At once, he reached out and used his tentacles to gently ruffle the hair of each of his students, and Ame found comfort in the familiar, gentle gesture. “I’m so happy, I’ve been holding back tears this whole time.” He carefully wiped said tears away, his usual broad and taunting grin now small and soft. “I mean it.”

Ame’s guts churned painfully as his tentacle retracted from her head. The loss of the contact suddenly made her all the more aware that the end of their story was nearing and, no matter what Korosensei said, it simply didn’t sit right with her.

_If only I hadn’t been so stubborn, so prideful. If only I had enlisted the Zodiac’s help, then maybe—_

“And, Naoki-san?” She startled, looking up. “I’m well-aware of what you might be thinking right now… but I’ve already spoken with your Leader. Even if you had asked, he would have refused to land you a hand—on my behalf, and at my request.”

“… I see. Looks like you, too, have everything planned out.”

Her tentative joke fell flat, and she didn’t have the heart for it, anyway. Korosensei didn’t add anything else, though, and turned to face her blonde friend instead.

“By the way, Nakamura-san, your footsteps were awfully gentle, even during that pitched battle,” he remarked. “And… do I smell something sweet?”

“Sharp ears and a sharp nose, uh?” Heaving out a half-amused, half-exasperated, sigh, Rio kneeled down to open the bag she had been carrying. “It’s been exactly one year since the day the moon exploded, right? As I recall, Yukimura-sensei made today your birthday.” She pulled out a small, but beautifully decorated strawberry cake, and Korosensei instantly started salivating at the sight. “Feel free to praise my skill in getting this here in one pi—oi! I’m talking!”

“But… it’s just…” His skin had turned pink as he fully focused on the cake before him. “It’s my first sweet _anything_ in a week!”

“Ew, you’re drooling!” Rio quickly shook her head. “Come on, guys—let’s get singing!”

When Rio had shared her plan with her, Ame had been amused, but didn’t think she’d actually pull through. However, her friend had proven her wrong and, as such, the black-haired girl admitted defeat by singing along with the rest of her friends.

_Happy birthday to you_

_Happy birthday to you_

_Happy birthday, Korosensei_

_Happy birthday to you~_

“Yeah!”

“Yatta!”

“Happy birthday!”

“Come on, blow it out, Korosensei!”

“There’s only one, so make it count!”

Nodding, Korosensei pulled away a little, ready to blow his candle… until a dark red tentacle suddenly shot out of the shadows and crashed right onto the birthday cake, ripping it apart. All of the students instantly tensed up as two familiar figures slowly made their way out of the forest where they had been hiding, and Ame internally cursed herself for having forgotten about them in the first place.

_Of course Yanagisawa would try his luck one last time! How could I be so careless!?_

“Happy birthday,” he stated plainly, sarcastically. For once, he wasn’t wearing his mask. “The time is ripe. Let me give you the gift of the world’s cruelest death.”

The man beside him was… strange, to say the least. Completely unrecognizable, there was a mass of dark matter constantly moving around him, and he slowly zipped down the suit to reveal two bright, glowing eyes.

“Sensei… You know who I am, don’t you?”

“Why don’t I reintroduce him—to your students, too,” mused Yanagisawa. “He’s the man who stole the name _The Reaper_ from that octopus. And, as of today… he’s the _new_ Korosensei.”

A Shinigami—a God of Death.

There was simply no other way to describe the actual monster who now stood before them. An inhuman mass of dark matter and tentacles, animated with only the will to kill and the drive to _hurt._ The bloodlust emanating from it was sick and twisted, and a chill ran down Ame’s spine as her mind quickly connected the dots.

_If that’s the man who stole Korosensei’s title, then that means it’s his traitor of an apprentice… and the former Inu._

The man who betrayed her.

The man who put her name on the dark list.

The man who sold her out to Tanaka Sho.

The man who shot her with the full intent to kill.

The man she once considered her friend.

_In the end… I never even knew his real name…_

“That’s…!”

“It can’t be!”

“That’s the guy who attacked us!?”

“Reaper 2.0…”

“Before, it was just his face—now his whole body is a monster!”

“He’s just had the same modification as the octopus,” replied plainly Yanagisawa. “The only difference is that he begged for them. Completely unlike the botched Itona, or my little sister over there…” Itona gritted his teeth, and Kayano glared hotly. “Can you even imagine? A man who overpowered you singlehandedly even as a human now has both incomparable tentacles and hatred. The destructive power…!”

**_“DIE!”_ **

“RUN AWAY!”

The monster pounced, and the students instantly ran for cover, while Korosensei took the brunt of the assault in order to protect them.

“Sonic Boom. His tentacles have an initial velocity of Mach 2, and they can reach a top speed… of Mach 40,” explained smugly Yanagisawa, while the two creatures started duking it out, their movements too fast for the human eye to follow. “In short, his basic performance is doubled. 2.0’s superhuman kinetic vision and intuition are amplified via his tentacles, making him readily adaptable to a supersonic world. Unlike some amateur children, he took to his tentacles readily—just like version 1.0 over there. But, the greatest difference is that unlike you and that octopus, those tentacles were designed with continuous operation in mind. You see, he needs no upkeep. He’s disposable. In exchange for only three months to live, I’ve made it so he can tap into this tremendous energy—and there’s not even any danger of him exploding at death. Ah, ah, ah! A safe and flawless weapon, is it not?”

Korosensei was barely able to keep up with the monster his first student had turned into, and the students of the E-Class could only watch with growing horror as they realized that, as he was now, their teacher couldn’t win. And adding to that all of Yanagisawa’s boasting…

“You always do this…” growled out Kayano, earning his attention. “Always hurting others—from your safe spot away from it all!”

At that, Yanagisawa’s smirk fell, and he took off his hood. “Is that what you think?”

Then, much to everyone’s horror, he pulled out a custom-made syringe in the form of a gun, to which was attached a fairly familiar container, for those who had seen it before. Just as he was about to plant it into his neck, though, the syringe was harshly knocked out of his hand and slid onto the ground, a few meters away.

“What—“

“Sheesh, you really talk too much,” huffed Ame, lowering her foot. “You know, for a guy who prides himself on being a genius, you didn’t realize one second that I was getting closer and closer to you the more you talked. I mean, I get that your ego is the size of this mountain, but did you _really_ think I was letting you run your mouth because I wanted to hear you fawn over your monstrous creation?” She rubbed the back of her neck, cracking it a bit as she smirked defiantly. “You should really know me better than that, at that point.”

“Tche. Naoki Ame, always getting in the way…” he growled out, visibly annoyed. “Though I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, now that I know _what_ you are. Your ex-colleague over there shared _everything_ with me.”

“At that point, it really doesn’t matter,” she snorted, unperturbed. “Go ahead, tell the entire world—but who are they going to believe? A freak who uses human experimentation to fuel his greed for recognition, or a junior-high-school girl who’s been _traumatized_ by her year spent under the threat of her monster teacher?”

He gritted his teeth a bit at that. “Always have a solution to every problem, don’t you? But, it doesn’t matter—you will die here tonight, along with your beloved teacher!”

He pounced, faster than anyone actually expected, but not on Ame. Instead, he spun on his heels and crossed the distance separating him from the syringe she had kicked out of his hand earlier and, with a sickening laugh, he lifted it up high triumphantly.

“Akari! I’m not prepared to die, is what you think, isn’t it?” he taunted. “But that’s where you’re wrong: I don’t give a damn about my life anymore! Not if I can kill _him,_ who stole everything from me… and _her,_ who keeps on getting in my way…” At once, he planted the needle into his neck, his grin widening even more. “Joints, muscle fibers, spinal cord, nerves: it may not be my entire body, but if I can gradually implant tentacles in these key places, I can become superhuman while retaining my human faculties…!”

“Well, in that case, it’s a good thing that’s not tentacles you just injected yourself with, isn’t it?”

…

…

…

Yanagisawa paused.

Blinked.

“Eh?”

Ame simply tilted her head, smiling. “Have your parents never told you not to pick up syringes off the ground when you were little?”

As if on cue, all of Yanagisawa’s muscles locked down and become completely unresponsive, and the man collapsed at once, spasms running through his entire body every few seconds. The students could only gape, dumbstruck, before snapping their eyes at Ame, next to whom was now standing… Okuda?

“Good job, Okuda,” grinned Ame, exchanging a high-five with the girl. “You did great!”

“It- it was your idea, Ame-san…!”

Understanding finally dawned on the rest of the E-Class.

“Wait, you’re telling me you had Okuda switch the syringes!?” gasped Rio.

“No, just the contents,” replied Ame, showing them the little container Okuda had just handed her—the one containing the tentacle seeds.

Takebayashi’s eyes widened slightly. “That’s brilliant. In this class, Okuda-san is the one with the less presence, and Yanagisawa was so busy arguing with Ame-san…”

“That there was no possible way he would detect Okuda while she switched the contents of the syringe,” completed Kataoka, nodding appreciatively.

“Exactly. And now?” Ame pulled up a small bag that had been attached to her hip since the beginning of this venture, but that none of them had noticed up until now. “It’s time to land a hand to our dear teacher.”

“What? How? Have you seen that monster?” protested Yoshida.

“Right, we don’t stand a chance!” nodded Mimura.

“We don’t need to get anywhere close to him,” assured calmly Ame, pulling out containers similar to the one with the tentacle seeds. In them, a strange, translucent-blue liquid could be seen. “If we can inject him with a considerable dose of _these,_ then we’ll be able to even the gap of power between them.”

“What _is_ this, exactly?” asked Sugino, a tad wary.

“Well, after so many run-ins with people with tentacles, I became a tad paranoid and deemed that, in the worst-case scenario, we’d have to fight one last tentacle-controlled monster,” shrugged Ame. “So, I had Hana, our poison and drug expert, look into it. In the end, she managed to create a special substance which, in theory, should weaken the tentacles. Of course, it was created for a scenario where Korosensei would have to once again pull out tentacles from an unwilling victim but, as it is, it still ought to be enough to at least weaken 2.0 a bit, and give Korosensei the opening he needs to land the final blow.”

“How many of those do you have, Ame-san?” asked Isogai, determination settling in his gaze.

“Twenty-nine of them—in other words, one for each of us. Of course, not all of them will actually reach their target, but the more the better.” She pulled out one of her guns, her eyes reflecting her resolve. “This is our last shot at saving Korosensei. If you don’t want to, go take cover in the classroom so you won’t get accidentally caught in the crossfire. If you’re up for it, then grab a container and gear up—we’re moving as soon as everyone’s in position.”

They had already gotten that far—what was one more life-threatening endeavor, really? All determined to at least help out their teacher one last time, every single student of the E-Class grabbed one of the containers/bullets Ame had brought, and even Ritsu was given one—in the drone she was controlling. Just as they were splitting up, though, none other than Karasuma and Irina showed up.

“Well, you guys sure took your sweet time, didn’t you?” Ame mused.

“What- what is that monster—“

“The Reaper. Or rather, Korosensei’s ex-apprentice, and the guy who shot me a few months ago,” summarized the girl, before gesturing to the white-cladded man still lying on the ground. “We managed to paralyze Yanagisawa, and he won’t be getting up any time soon, but that monster is too advanced for Korosensei to handle on his own. So, we’re going to help him out.” After a moment, she thought of something. “You guys want in on it?”

“But- but how!?” protested Irina, pale. “That monster—“

“Here.” Ame offered them two containers. “I actually kept those for backup, but seeing as you’re here now… These should at least weaken 2.0 enough for Korosensei to gain the upper hand, if only briefly. It’s not much, but… it’s all we can do, at that point.”

After a moment, Karasuma sighed and grabbed one of them. “Do I even want to know how you got your hands on such a substance?”

“What can I say? I have talented friends.”

Irina snorted, taking the other one as she pulled out her gun. “That’s an understatement, brat.”

Glad their other two teachers were joining in on the fun, Ame quickly directed them to different locations around the battlefield, where the rest of the students had already settled down and were now lying in wait, awaiting her signal. If they wanted even the slightest chance to hit, then they needed to wait for the monster to stop moving long enough for them to fire, but…

 **“This isn’t gonna work,”** grumbled Terasaka. **“It keeps on moving—we can’t fire like that!”**

 **“We need a distraction,”** reasoned Itona. **“Something big enough to make it stop moving, and to give Korosensei a break.”**

Ame nodded. “It was my idea. I’ll—“

**“Leave it to me!”**

**“Wha—Kayano-san!?”**

Despite Nagisa’s attempt to stop her, the green-haired girl suddenly ran out smack in the middle of the battlefield. Ame gritted her teeth, but stood her ground. If she, too, rushed ahead of danger, then it’d cause more trouble for everyone, so all she could do was trust in Kayano and hope for the best.

“Hey, Ugly!” Kayano fired an anti-BB bullet at the monster, and he and Korosensei instantly parted ways, the battlefield falling eerily silent. “Look over here! Korosensei, run away and take a breather! I’ll distract him!”

“N- no! Kayano-san—!”

“I’d regretted it all this time,” she then admitted, gritting her teeth. 2.0 wasn’t moving, staring at her as if he was gauging his new opponent—probably wary because of her former status as a tentacle-user. “That it was my fault the class learned the truth. That I snatched away the fun times we’d had together. So at least… let me protect you… as your student!”

 **“Ame!?”** pressed Rio.

“Not now. Just wait a little more!”

“You were right!” exclaimed Korosensei, who bowed despite being thoroughly beaten up. “Thanks to your actions, the class got to learn what was truly important!”

“I’ll protect you!”

This time, Kayano fired with the special ammunition Ame had provided.

“NOW!” barked Ame.

It was the opening they needed. At once, shots were fired from all around the battlefield, almost in perfect synchronization. Ame didn’t know how many of them hit their mark, but it was well over half of them, which bode well for them. However, just as she was about to order a tactical retreat so Korosensei could handle the rest… Kayano decided to recklessly rush ahead and pounced, a rubber knife in her hands.

“Akari, don’t!”

It was too late. Despite being already weakened by the substance, 2.0 was acting on instincts alone and, as soon as Kayano got close enough, she was pierced through and through by one of his tentacles. Numerous, horrified screams echoed in the background as her blood filled the air like red cherry blossom petals.

As for Ame… she froze.

_It’s my fault._

_It was my plan._

_She got hurt because of me._

Korosensei slowly dragged himself over to where her body had been unceremoniously dropped and, despite being paralyzed, they could hear Yanagisawa _laughing._ Well, it was more like breathless wheezing than anything else, seeing as even his vocal cords were paralyzed, but it only made it all the more horrifying. Frankly, Ame was tempted to run over to him and shove her knife smack into his skull… but that thought was quickly forgotten as a bloodlust much greater than her own suddenly washed over the battlefield.

_Ko- Korosensei…!?_

Even when Nagisa had almost died at the beginning of the year when he tried his luck with that kamikaze assassination attempt, Korosensei hadn’t been _that_ angry. She unconsciously took a step back, frightened, but it quickly became evident that all of their teacher’s anger was now solely directed at his foe.

“We- we have to get out of here!” urged Nagisa, who had picked up Kayano’s body in the meantime. “Let’s get out of the way!”

“R- right!”

It didn’t take long for the E-Class to come back together and, while many spared horrified glances for the body of the green-haired girl, none of them commented on it, their attention soon drawn back to the ongoing battle. At once, Korosensei clashed with 2.0 and, after a few seconds, a white light suddenly filled the battlefield.

“A- a white light?”

“But- but his tentacles are still black!”

“No… it’s yellow,” gawked Nagisa.

“Nuh-uh—it’s red!” countered Terasaka.

“Green,” choked out Rio.

“Blue!” gasped Kataoka.

“And back… to white…” murmured Ame.

It was an actual rainbow of colored lights, until it became too blinding for any of the students to see anything. A violent gust of wind picked up, forcing them to close their eyes and, when they finally opened them again… it was over. 2.0 had been entirely wiped out of existence by Korosensei’s newfound power, and the final boss had been dealt with.

As joyous as the thought was, though, no one shouted in joy.

More than one life would be lost that night, and it wasn’t something to celebrate.

“Ko- Korosensei…” choked out Nagisa as their teacher appeared before them. “Kayano…”

“Class… The past you’ve lost will never come back,” stated plainly Korosensei. “I myself have made so many mistakes… But, we can learn from the past, so we don’t repeat it.”

Then, much to everyone’s shock, thinner tentacles appeared behind him, and Ame’s eyes widened when she saw the large, red sphere they were holding. Upon looking closer, it was obviously blood— _Kayano’s_ blood.

“These are Kayano-san’s blood and somatic cells. I gathered them up before she fell to the ground, and stored them in a sterile membrane I made with compressed air,” he explained. He shot a brief glance at Ame. “After what happened to Naoki-san a few months ago, and what happened to Yukimura Aguri… I decided to no longer be caught unprepared.”

“In- in the middle of the battle!?” gasped Sugaya.

“I’d set aside the tentacles meant for protecting you.” Gently, Korosensei lifted Kayano’s body from Nagisa’s arms. “Those were the only ones I didn’t use for fighting. Now, to string all these cells together, one by one… Faster, more accurately…” He got to work, a white light emanating from Kayano’s wound as he started patching her up. “I’ve been improving my skills all year long—so if the same thing happened again, it wouldn’t have the same tragic ending. That technique wasn’t ready when Naoki-san got shot, but it is today. Now, some cells can’t be repaired, so instead I’ll leave gaps, and fill them with my mucus. Within a few days, her own cells should regenerate and replace it.” He then grunted. “I’m a tad low on blood. Type AB donors, please!”

Ame didn’t hesitate in stepping forward, extending her arm. She still felt guilty for what had happened even if, rationally speaking, she wasn’t at fault for Kayano’s reckless action. Itona and Karma also stepped forward, letting Korosensei’s tentacles suck out as much blood as he needed.

“Nakamura-san!” he then called out urgently. “Gather up that birthday cake and put it in my mouth!”

“What!? But it’s a smashed-up pile of dirt-covered garbage now!” she protested.

“I need to replenish my energy! _And_ I wanted to eat it that whole fight! I call the thirty-minutes rule!”

“Thirty _seconds!!!”_

Then, after what felt like an eternity, the glow finally diminished, until it fully disappeared and, at last, Korosensei gently lowered Kayano to the ground, her wound now closed. In fact, there wasn’t even the slightest scratch left. Though, as soon as Korosensei removed his tentacle from her arm, a wave of dizziness washed over Ame, and she stumbled back a bit. Kurahashi and Yada were quick to catch her and help her sit down, for which she was grateful. While Korosensei had been careful not to draw out too much blood, it was _still_ an abrupt blood loss.

“Now, once her heart starts working, she’ll come back to life,” the octopus announced, wiping some sweat from his forehead. He then showed them a copy of _What To Do For a Gut-Shot Student, by Korosensei._ “It should go perfectly, manual.”

“Who’d even anticipate such a disaster!?” snapped Sugino, Maehara, and Okajima.

Ame started raising her hand—

“And _you_ don’t count!!!” warned Maehara, pointing accusingly at her.

She instantly lowered her hand, rolling her eyes.

“I can say this now, but if your bodies were ever torn to pieces, I was prepared to put them back together,” Korosensei then admitted, electricity now sparkling at the tip of his tentacles. “As long as I’m around, that is.”

On which he sent a shock through Kayano’s body to kick-start her heart. At first, nothing happened, and everyone watched with bathed breath… until Kayano suddenly gasped, her eyes snapping open. Slowly, she sat up, glancing around with confusion.

“Did you save me… again…?” she asked hesitantly their teacher.

“As many times as it takes,” Korosensei simply replied, swiftly tying her hair back into the usual twin ponytails. “Your sister would have done the same.”

There was a moment of silence.

Then, at once, all of the students finally gave in to their relief and burst out in joyous shouts and cheerful, relieved exclamations, many of them rushing up to Kayano to hug her, while a few others cried their hearts out. Ame simply slumped, glad to know her friend was safe and sound.

“Kayano, thank goodness you’re alright!” beamed Nagisa.

“Nagisa— _achoo!_ What- what’s with this getup!?” she gasped, only now noticing her ripped clothes and her uncovered chest.

At once, most of the boys averted their eyes with faint blushes on their cheeks—tough Kataoka had to be a tad forceful with Okajima so he’d look away.

“Don’t mind, don’t mind,” chuckled Maehara, simply dropping his coat over her shoulders. “Korosensei even fixed up your hair for you.”

“Thank you… but I wish he’d fixed up my clothes first…”

“You- you know, Korosensei’s so generous with his care and all, you might’ve come out of that a little bustier than before— _gurk!”_

“One more word and I’ll ensure the Okajima name dies with you,” warned darkly Ame, having just thrown a rubber knife at a specific part of his anatomy.

“Dah ah ah… Ah ah ah…” All students tensed up as, all of sudden, a wheezy, mad laugh echoed, and all eyes snapped to Yanagisawa’s paralyzed body. “Impossible… Unconceivable… By targeting the students, your greatest weakness… A hindrance… We should have won… _You should be dead—!”_

Korosensei was suddenly before him, towering and menacing. “Those students risked life and limb to try to save me, and overcame obstacles to meet me here. That process, those hearts—they’re the greatest gift a teacher could receive. They’re _not_ a weak point, and they’re _not_ a hindrance. They’re my _students!_ And I’m proud of each and every one of them! What’s more… protecting one’s students is a teacher’s natural duty—I couldn’t possibly die when I had to look after them.”

Before Yanagisawa could add anything, he was harshly knocked out by Karasuma, who had walked up to him in the meantime. While the special agent put him in cuffs, Korosensei slowly walked back to the group of students, seemingly about to say something else… but he suddenly collapsed, much to everyone’s horror.

“Korosensei!”

“Are you okay!?”

“Phew… I’m beat,” admitted the creature, who appeared strangely satisfied despite his beaten state, for some reason. “Now, class. What kind of assassins would let a dying target escape?” A heavy silence ensued as understanding slowly dawned on the students. “Can’t you see? It’s killing time.”

Ame inhaled sharply at that, her legs shaking a bit as she forced herself back to her feet. She knew it was coming, she _knew_ they didn’t have much time left—and, not for the first time ever since she joined the E-Class, she felt helpless. She had grown used to pulling off downright miracles, but it would appear she was now fresh out of stock.

“Fun times… are bound to end. That’s what a classroom’s all about.”

She gritted her teeth, her throat tight and dry as she lifted her eyes to the sky. Through the dome, she could see the swelling light of the laser. It was a clear sign that it would fire right on schedule despite what had happened, and that the endgame was _now._

“Everyone…” The students turned to Isogai, who sported a solemn expression. “We have to decide this ourselves. We _could_ choose to stay out of this and leave it up to Fate…” After a moment of hesitation, he took a deep breath. “Show of hands: who doesn’t want to kill Korosensei?”

It didn’t take long for all of the students to raise their hands, Ame being one of the firsts. After a moment, Isogai nodded somberly.

“Okay. Hands down. Now: who wants to kill Korosensei?”

She didn’t want to kill. Hell, all Ame wanted to do was run away and escape reality, if only for one more night. However, she was also painfully aware of a single, simple fact: amongst all of the students present, she was the only one who had killed before.

_My hands are already tainted anyway… and I don’t want any of them to have to carry that burden—not if I can take it myself._

Keeping her eyes firmly locked to the ground, Ame raised her hand. After a few seconds, though, she realized with a mix of sadness and relief that, once again, all of her classmates had also raised their hands again—and understanding dawned on her.

_It’s not about killing, or about accomplishing our mission._

_It’s about graduating on our own terms, and salvaging what we can of our bond with Korosensei. It’s about giving sense to the year we spent together, giving meaning to all of our hard work and all of our efforts._

_It’s about giving Korosensei what he wants—to die at the hands of his precious students._

Slowly, the students of the E-Class gathered around their teacher and, one after the other, they all crouched down to take a hold of his tentacles. Of course, it’s not like he was going to make a run for it at that point, but they all _needed_ to do this. Gritting her teeth, Ame sat down on one of the larger tentacles he used as an arm.

“You can’t move like this, right, Korosensei?” asked plainly Rio.

“Exactly so, Nakamura-san. I _am_ worried about your weak grip, though,” mused the octopus.

Reacting instinctively, the students instantly tightened their grips, though their hearts clearly weren’t into it.

“Your heart is under your tie, right?” recalled hesitantly Kataoka. “Who’s going to…”

Ame stiffened, much like the rest of the students—though, those were because none of them had thought about it until now. As for her, though… she was angry at herself. As much as she wanted to take on that burden, to land that final blow so none of them would have to do it and live the rest of their lives with their teacher’s blood on their hands… she couldn’t do it.

No matter how good of a person she wanted to be, she was too selfish for that.

“You guys, please—let me do it.”

At once, the attention shifted to Nagisa, who was now coming out of the building with a rubber knife in his hands. Ame was ashamed of how her entire body relaxed as the boy volunteered himself for the task, but she mostly admired his resolve.

“No complaints here,” assured Terasaka, smirking a bit.

“You’re the head of this class, Nagisa,” added Karma. “Do what you want.”

Nodding, Nagisa carefully climbed over the creature’s body, until he straddled his chest and positioned his knife right over the tie. Korosensei then started talking of his connection with the tie, and also how he needed to thank Karasuma and Irina as fellow teachers.

“But first, I need to say my goodbyes to these teachers. Irina-sensei, are you sure you don’t want to join in? This is your chance at that bounty,” he calmly pointed out.

At that, she lowered her eyes. “I’ve gotten enough already. So many ties, so much experience—from you and the children both. This assassination… is the bond between you and those kids.”

“I see. And you, Karasuma-sensei.” The agent straightened up a bit at being called out. “You, too, have made these students what they are today. Please continue to offer your guidance.”

“Aa. You may have caused me no end of trouble, but this is one year I’ll never forget.” His back straight, his chin held high, he leveled the octopus with a solemn, respectful gaze. “Farewell… Korosensei.”

The octopus’s smile widened slightly at that—it was the first time Karasuma ever called him by his given name. However, time was now running out, and they needed to wrap things up.

“Now then, class, it’s about that time. Twenty-four hours wouldn’t be enough time for me to say my goodbyes to each of you in turn. We can’t talk long… so instead, I’ll take attendance one last time. Please, look me in the eye and answer in a loud voice. Once you’ve all responded, you can kill me.” There was a moment of silence, before panic took over his expression. “No- nobody left early, did they!? Naoki-san isn’t skipping again, right!? If someone didn’t respond now, of all times, I’d kill myself!”

“Just do it already!!!” snapped the rest of the students, briefly falling back into the routine.

“Very well. In that case, let us begin attendance: Akabane Karma-kun.”

“Here.”

::

_There, on the desk, was an octopus, stabbed right through the head._

Seriously _?_

_Ame scrunched her nose and turned to Karma, who was sitting at his place, a satisfied smirk on his lips._

_“That’s just nasty. Was that really necessary?”_

_“Why do you assume I’m the one did it?” mused the red-haired boy._

_“’Cause you’re the only one who’d try something like that. The others wouldn’t be able to stomach it,” she retorted, gesturing to the rest of their classmates. They were all silent, unable to look at it. “You really think that’s going to be enough for Korosensei to lose it?”_

_“Maybe, maybe not. Only one way to find out, right?”_

::

“Isogai Yuuma-kun.”

“Here.”

::

_“You should be careful, you know?”_

_The black-haired girl cracked an eye open, glancing down from the branch she was lazily lying on. Below was a boy from her class. The official class representative of 3-E, right?_

_“I never fall,” she simply replied, closing her eyes again. “And even if I did, I’d probably break my neck and die on the spot, so I wouldn’t feel the pain anyway.”_

_The boy sweatdropped a little. “That’s… not exactly better.”_

_“Meh. That would depend on one’s point of view,” she shrugged. Then, realizing she wouldn’t be able to relax anymore, she sighed heavily. “Great, now I’m fully awake.”_

_Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she simply rolled off the branch. There was a startled gasp from the boy, but she simply ignored it and flipped in midair, thus easily catching her fall and landing on her feet with practiced ease._

_“Isogai-kun, was it?” she remarked, ignoring how he gaped at her. “Thanks for waking me up. How_ nice _, really.”_

_“O- oh! You’re very welcome, Naoki-san!”_

::

“Okajima Taiga-kun.”

“Here.”

::

_Slinging her bag over her shoulders, she was about to leave through the window while Korosensei wasn’t around to stop her, but a small whimper caught her attention. A tad confused, she glanced back… and sweatdropped upon noticing none other than Okajima, slumped over his desk with a dark cloud of misery floating around him._

_After a moment of hesitation, she walked up to him and lightly tapped him on the shoulder._

_“Ugh, what…”_

_“Okajima…?”_

_Upon hearing a feminine voice, the boy instantly perked up and lifted his head—and his jaw dropped when she offered him the small, red box._

_“Don’t take this the wrong way—it’s not a confession or anything,” she warned, sincerely hoping she hadn’t just dug her own grave. “I bought it out for myself since the price was cut in half for Valentine’s Day, but, erm… you look like you need it more than I do.”_

_“Is- is this for real…?” He carefully, almost reverently grabbed the box… and then started crying. “This is the most wonderful day of my life! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”_

_“S- sure…”_

::

“Okano Hinata-san.”

“Uh-uh…”

::

_“All right. Okano, I want you to surprise me.”_

_“W- what? Just like that?”_

_“Yep. I won’t fight back, merely evade. You’ve got to land at least one hit.”_

_“Okay?”_

_Unsure, she took her stance. Ame simply nodded reassuringly. Nodding back, the brunette then darted forward. Ame easily stepped out of the way._

_Surprise her…_

_She needed a move Ame hadn’t taught her, then._

_…_

_…_

_…_

I know!

_She moved fast, her knife aiming for the orange-eyed girl’s face. Ame stepped back, just enough to avoid it from hitting her face. However, it wasn’t far enough to avoid the sudden kick from her opponent. Okano executed a perfect cartwheel, hitting Ame right under the chin. It’s only once she fell back on her feet that she realized she had actually hit the teen._

::

“Okuda Manami-san.”

“H- here…!”

::

_“Hey, Okuda.”_

_The bespectacled girl jumped at the voice, snapping her eyes to the source._

_“Na- Naoki-san!”_

_The black-haired teen nodded in greeting, before sitting in front of her. The shy girl bit her lower lip, reporting her attention to her current work. She hadn’t expected Naoki Ame, of all people, to come and talk to her._

_“So…” Ame leaned back in her seat. “I’ve heard what you said to Korosensei.”_

_“O- oh?”_

_“Yeah. Anyway, you’re pretty great when it comes to poisons and stuff like that, right? But as you said yourself, you can’t do it when it comes to surprise attacks and the likes. Which is kind of sad, considering poison is only effective when the target doesn’t know they took it.”_

_“Right…”_

_“But! I’ve got an idea.”_

_At that, Okuda finally dared look back to her. There was a glint in Ame’s eyes, and the shy girl couldn’t help but be curious._

::

“Kataoka Meg-san.”

“Here.”

::

_“Wait, Ame-chan!” The teen stopped in her tracks, turning to Hara. “I was wondering… if you could help me.”_

_“Help you?”_

_“Help_ us _, actually,” nodded Kataoka, smiling a little. “We’ve seen how you handle knives and hand-to-hand combat, and we’d really appreciate it if you could show us a few tricks.”_

_The rest of the girls nodded their heads in agreement. Ame stared at them for a few seconds, truly taken aback. Then, her lips stretched by themselves, and she found herself beaming at them._

_“Sure! It’ll be fun!”_

::

“Kayano Kaede-san.”

::

_“A- Ame-chan…” Snapping back to reality, the girl looked over at Akari. She was on the verge of tears, but for a completely different reason, now. “I- I’m so sorry… You tried to warn me… You- you tried to show me the truth, and yet I’ve said—I’ve told you such horrible things… And I hurt you…”_

_“Maa, maa, don’t worry about it, it’s fine—“_

_“No! No, it’s not_ fine _!” snapped the girl, gritting her teeth. “I know- I know you’re quick to forgive, I know you rarely hold grudges when it comes to the people you care about… but I hurt you, Ame-chan—in more ways than one, and_ that’s not okay _.” Akari met Ame’s surprised gaze head-on, before bowing deeply. “I didn’t mean anything I said to you earlier. I was completely driven by my anger and my pain, and all I sought was to also make you suffer, but I didn’t mean a single word of it—but even so, I_ hurt _you, and- and…”_

_“I think that what she’s trying to say is: think a bit more about yourself, Ame,” intervened Rio, lightly hitting her friend over the head. “Despite what you think, it’s not okay for people to hurt you, even if they’re people you care about. We won’t think any less of you if you get angry or snap back.”_

_“I understand,” nodded Ame, offering a tentative smile at Akari. “Since you were honest with me, I’ll be honest with you: every single thing you said was true—that’s why it hurt. I can’t blame you for calling it as you saw it, really, but I’m not mad about it.” Her smile widened, and she reached out to pat her friend on the shoulder. “I’m just really glad you’re okay, now! So, let’s finish the year together, everyone—without masks and without acting, to enjoy whatever time we have left. Alright?”_

::

“Kanzaki Yukiko-san.”

“Here.”

::

_“How did you get here before us anyway?” then wondered Sugino, scratching the back of his head. “When we got here, we ran into Kanzaki and Kayano who were panicking and telling us you were facing the guys by yourself…”_

_“I was passing by when I saw you guys were in trouble,” admitted the teen. “I simply followed the van here.”_

_“But… earlier, that guy…” Kayano lowered her eyes, fiddling with her fingers. “He said that he stole the itinerary on the train, but that someone took it back from him… That was you, wasn’t it?”_

_“… Aa.”_

_“Why didn’t you tell us, Naoki-san?” frowned slightly Kanzaki._

_“I didn’t want you guys to worry for nothing,” sighed the girl. “I thought I had handled everything and that you’d be fine and I didn’t want you guys to stress needlessly. I’m… sorry about that. I should have told you. Maybe if I did, then this wouldn’t have happened—“_

_Kayano grabbed her hands, startling the girl, who looked back to her. The green-haired teen then beamed at her._

_“You shouldn’t apologize for wanting to help. Thank you, for saving us!”_

_“I… I just…”_

_“Aa. Thank you,” added Kanzaki, now smiling softly._

_“… Ain’t nothin’,” mumbled the girl, averting her gaze. The adrenaline was now slowly disappearing, leaving her in a somewhat dazed state. “Though I gotta say, that wasn’t how I pictured our school-trip would go.”_

::

“Kimura Justice-kun.”

“Here!”

::

_“Ugh, I hate the thought of another public execution come graduation,” admitted the boy. “My parents are police officers who were so high on Justice that they named their son after it! And being my parents, they’d just smack me if I complained about it. They didn’t think about how much a kid could get teased in school.”_

_“That’s parents for you,” then remarked Hazama. “Me, with this face—I’m Kirara. Kirara! Do I look like a Kirara to you?”_

_“N- no…”_

_“My mom lives in her own little fantasy world, but if something happens that she doesn’t like, she goes into screaming hysterics,” pursued the scary girl. “That’s the kind of stress-filled house I grew up in. No way was I going to grow into my adorable little name.”_

_“You’ve sure got it rough, saddled with such weird names,” mused Karma, going to join them._

_“Ah! You’re one to talk,” snorted Ame._

_“Me?” The boy quickly wrote his name on the board. “I rather like my name. Guess some kids inherit their folks’ strange tastes. Though, what about you, Ame?”_

_“Me?” She thought it over for a moment. “Well, ‘Naoki’ is for ‘honest’ and my name’s written with the character for ‘rain’… My grandmother told me its because my parents met on a rainy day or something like that. I never really thought over its significance, though.”_

_“Eh? That’s so romantic!” gushed Kurahashi._

_“More or less meaning ‘honest as rain’, uh…?” Karma grinned a little. “Don’t know if the shoe fits, though.”_

_“Whatever.”_

::

“Kurahashi Hinano-san.”

“ _Heeeere_ …!”

::

_“AME-CHAN!”_

_At the exclamation, the black-haired teen turned around, just in time to catch Kurahashi, who had jumped into her arms. She blinked a few times as the younger girl in her arms beamed brightly._

_“I’m so glad you could come!” The ginger jumped back on her feet, apparently excited. “I asked the others but they were all busy, so it’s just going to be the two of us. Is that okay?”_

_“Uh, sure. Though, it’s more like three of us…”_

_“Uh?”_

_It’s only then that Kurahashi noticed the little boy hiding behind Ame’s legs. Her sudden appearance had apparently startled him and he didn’t even dare to look at her._

_“This is my younger brother, Jackie,” introduced Ame, gently patting the kid’s head. “Jackie, this is the friend I was telling you about, Kurahashi. Come on, say hello.”_

_He slightly lifted his head, mumbling under his breath what seemed to be a greeting._

_“Aw, you’re so cute!” grinned the ginger. She clasped her hands together. “I’m glad you’re with us, Jackie! It’s going to be fun, you’ll see!”_

_He seemed to perk up a little at that, nodding slightly. Ame smiled softly, glad he seemed to be coming out of his shell. Kurahashi was a cheerful spirit, he’d surely warm up to her in no time._

_“So, Kurahashi, what exactly_ is _bug-hunting?”_

::

“Shiota Nagisa-kun.”

“Here.”

::

_“So? Decided to become an assassin?”_

_He chuckled nervously at that. “You’re really perceptive, aren’t you?”_

_“Part of the skills you pick up as an info-broker.” She stared at him for a moment, then sighed. “The Zodiac is, first and foremost, a group of info-brokers. Sure, we have a few members who are assassins and who take individual contracts on the side, but it’s not the primary focus of the organization. If you really intend to become an assassin, I’m sure we’d be able to open up a spot for you once you’ve finished your training… but I don’t know if it’s the kind of life that would suit you, Nagisa-kun.”_

_“And yet, my only talent is in assassination,” he replied, a tad bitterly._

_“There’s no denying that, out of all of us, you’ve got the greatest potential and skills when it comes to assassination,” she nodded. “But it’s not your only talent. You have many others, but you just haven’t learned to properly exploit them.” Her expression darkened a bit. “Becoming an assassin… it’s not the kind of decision that you can back out of. As soon as you’ve killed someone, it stays with you for the rest of your life. Are you really sure you can carry that burden?” He didn’t answer, and she reached out to pat his shoulder. “Just because you’re good at it doesn’t mean you should do it. Life is all about overcoming obstacles and showing the middle finger at adversity, right? So, even if it’s troublesome, look a little deeper into it, and think a little harder about it. If by graduation, you’ve truly made up your mind about becoming an assassin, then I can promise you a place in the Zodiac, in the future—but know that we won’t welcome a half-hearted member with a half-assed determination. You’ll have to be absolutely certain, alright?”_

_At that, he nodded, smiling a bit. “Alright. Thank you, Ame-san.”_

_“Of course.”_

::

“Sugaya Sosuke-kun.”

“Here.”

::

_“Either way, we’re gonna have to beat them to get by,” replied Terasaka, cracking his knuckles._

_“Exactly right, Terasaka-kun,” confirmed Korosensei, surprising many. “And that weapon Naoki-san brought will do the job perfectly!”_

_“That weapon…?” Curious, Ame looked through her bag before pulling it out. “You mean the katana?”_

_Everyone flinched as the blade glinted under the neon light. It was obviously very sharp—and probably very much lethal, too._

_“Gah! Why’d you bring that thing?” protested Yoshida._

_“Why do you even have a_ real _katana in the first place!?” added Sugaya, about to tear his hair out in frustration._ What’s up with this girl!?

_“I- I actually meant the stun-guns,” sweatdropped her teacher. “I didn’t know you had that.”_

_“Well, you just had to be more specific,” huffed the girl, putting away the sword._

::

“Sugino Tomohito-kun.”

“Here.”

::

_“Dammit… Guess my ball won’t do the trick after all,” he sighed._

_“Sugino…” Nagisa didn’t know what to say to cheer him up._

_“Already giving up?”_

_They both jumped a little, snapping their eyes to Ame, who was now standing behind them. One of her eyebrows raised and with her bag slung over her shoulder, she didn’t look all that impressed._

_“W- well…”_

_“You shouldn’t,” she cut him off bluntly. “It’s a good idea. If we want to kill that damn octopus, then we have to get creative. Don’t give up just yet.”_

_She patted Sugino on the shoulder before moving ahead, heading back to class to get the day started. The two teens stared at her retreating back, confused._

_Sugino scratched the back of his head. “… Did she just talk to me?”_

_Nagisa frowned. “I think so?”_

::

“Takebayashi Koutarou-kun.”

“Here…”

::

_“Wait, Ame! You already have a plan!?” gasped Rio, her eyes going wide._

_“Well, not a_ plan _, per se,” admitted Ame, scratching the back of her head. She then looked over at Takebayashi, much to everyone’s surprise. “I was actually discussing the matter with Takebayashi earlier, and I’ve realized that we both came to the same conclusion.”_

_“Which would be?” asked impatiently Terasaka._

_Takebayashi pushed up his glasses, clearing his throat. “Are the world’s leaders really only thinking about killing Korosensei? Neither of us thinks so. After all, their original goal is to save Earth. Along with their research on killing him, they must be doing research that doesn’t involve killing him, too.”_

_“In other words, there is the possibility that the world’s leaders are also looking into the creation of a serum, for example, or a way to contain or entirely stop the explosion,” explained Ame, crossing her arms over her chest._

_“It’s true: the world’s top science facilities have formed project teams focused on saving the planet,” confirmed Karasuma with a firm nod. “Of course, that information is all top-secret. It would be tough for you to find out what they’re studying.”_

_“Tough, but not impossible,” countered Ame, pulling out her phone. She started typing something as she pursued with her explanation. “Takebayashi shared his theory with me earlier in hopes that, with my contacts, I might be able to confirm the existence of such a research, along with its contents. As it was, we were all rather busy with the whole ‘_ Kill or Don’t Kill’ _debate, so I asked one of my colleagues to look into it. Of course, he couldn’t possibly break through all of the firewalls and systems protecting the information, so Ritsu helped him out while we were fighting. And, apparently, they found something.”_

::

“Chiba Ryunosuke-kun.”

“Here.”

::

_“Ritsu?” Ame snapped her eyes to Chiba. “You recorded the attempt, right?”_

_“Yes: all of the assassination, with a high-speed camera whenever possible,” confirmed the purple-haired program._

_“I knew the second I fired that I’d missed,” admitted the boy, lowering his head. “That my bullet couldn’t kill him.”_

_“I can’t say for sure,” replied Ritsu, going over some calculations. “The exact time it took him to move into that form is unclear. However, if your shot had been 0.5 seconds faster, or if Hayami-san’s had been 30 centimeters closer, you would have had a 50 percent chance of killing him before he noticed.”_

_“… I was so confident. I mean, in rehearsal, we practiced firing from even less stable spot—and I didn’t miss. But when the time came, my fingers stiffened and my vision narrowed.”_

_“Same here,” nodded curtly Hayami._

_“The pressure of absolutely not being allowed to miss. That crucial now-or-never moment…”_

_“To think it’d be this different from practice…” muttered the female sniper._

_Chiba simply gritted his teeth._

_“It’s not your fault.” They lifted their heads in surprise as Ame approached their table, a serious expression over her face. She reigned in her unusual giddiness, but couldn’t stop her mouth from moving. “It’s no one’s fault. The plan failed, and that’s that. I understand it’s easy to blame yourselves for what happened, but none of us think you’re at fault. We worked hard, and you should be proud of the result. We did something amazing tonight, and you guys are the only people who ever got so close to killing him—in the entire world, including the pros.” She turned to the rest of the group, crossing her arms over her chest. “This is just a minor set-back. We still have half of the school year left, and now? Now, we know what to expect, we learned to use our strengths, and we learned of our weaknesses. Next time, we’ll be more prepared. Next time, we_ will _kill him. Got it?”_

::

“Terasaka Ryoma-kun.”

“Yo.”

::

_Ame was angry. So, so angry. How could they be so fucking blind!? “Stop acting like God damn morons! Why can’t you just trust me on this!?”_

_“Oh, like_ you _trust_ us _?”_

_At that, the teen’s anger deflated somewhat. Her eyes met Terasaka, who was glaring at her with barely restrained annoyance._

_“Look, I don’t really get what’s gotten into you, but I’m done having you look down on us,” he pursued, arms crossed over his chest. “You’ve been treating us like god damn idiots since the first day of school, never letting anyone get close and always acting as if you were better than us—“_

_“I never—“_

_“—but now, you see that we’re_ finally _catching up to you,” he continued, getting fired up by his rant. “We’re all getting better and now that we actually got a chance at reaching your level, you hate it. Is that why you’re trying to turn us against that weirdo? Because of your stupid ego-complex?”_

_“Terasaka,” Isogai interfered, frowning. “That’s enough—“_

_“You never considered any of us your friends, or even your damn equals, ‘til now.” Her eyes widened at the accusation. “And now you’re asking us to trust you? Without even giving us any reason to? Any proof? We should just, what, take your word for it? And have you insult us on the whole way, too? You’re selfish and self-centered, and we’re supposed to just follow your every order without even the right to ask_ why _? That’s bullshit and you know it!”_

::

“Nakamura Rio-san.”

“Yep!”

::

_“I- I beat you, Ame,” she choked out, her hand trembling a bit as she lifted her knife. “I win…!”_

_And she brought down her knife. At the exact same moment, though, a gunshot echoed… and red and blue paint mingled together as a heavy silence followed. Rio could only gawk as she only now noticed the gun Ame was holding in her left hand, and with which she had just fired, effectively hitting her friend right in the heart._

_“You- you used a gun…?”_

_“W- well, I knew no one would expect it,” grunted Ame, heaving out a sigh of relief as Rio finally released her. “Though, you used a move I totally didn’t expect.”_

_“Karma- Karma taught me, just before the game started… He knew it was the best way to take you off guard, since we’re so used to fighting each other…”_

_There was a moment of silence as the two of them sat on the ground, mulling over everything that had just happened. After a few seconds, though, the pressure became too much for Rio, and she turned a teary-eyed gaze at the black-haired girl beside her._

_“Ame, I’m sorry—“_

_“Don’t be.” Without hesitation, Ame wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders, and she gently pressed their heads together, smiling lightly. “You fought well, Rio.”_

_“… you too, Ame.”_

_They stayed like this for a short while, regaining their breath and taking a moment to simply calm down and properly think things over. In the end, they were just glad that they managed to understand each other, even if they had to come to blows for it._

_In Rio, Ame saw the determination to protect the bond the E-Class shared._

_In Ame, Rio saw the need to become a better person._

_In the end, they understood each other, and it was all that mattered at that point._

::

“Naoki Ame-san.”

She let out a shaky breath, before offering him a wobbly smile. “Not skipping.”

He let out a small chuckle, and continued. “Hazama Kirara-san.”

“Here.”

::

“Aim for the goal! Pass to Kanzaki! Go back!”

_Rio’s English calls were confusing, and distracting. Sometimes the girls followed her instructions, other times they didn’t, and so their opponents no longer understood what their game plan was. To be frank, though, that was kind of the point. A confused or distracted opponent was one easily overcome, after all._

_“Hazama!”_

_Hazama blinked in surprise when the ball suddenly landed in her hands. Half-a-second later, three of their enemies were before her, ready to take it away. A dark grin spread on her lips, and an even darker aura suddenly surrounded her._

_“Feeling up to bring some darkness into your lives, girls? You can already taste your defeat, can’t you?” she taunted just as darkly._

_Chills ran down the three girls’ spines, freezing them in place, and Hazama used the opportunity to score._

::

“Hayami Rinka-san.”

“Here.”

::

_"We were heading for the shooting stand ourselves," then stated Hayami, though it didn't really surprise anyone. She offered a small smile at the little girl. "Rin, right? You can come with us if you wish."_

_Rin glanced at Ame, who simply shrugged. "If you want to, then go."_

_"But Kiba's right, for once—"_

_"Oi!"_

_"—this is a family outing. Why are we splitting up?"_

_"Well, I brought you guys here so we could all have some fun," shrugged the teen. "And since I've got Leo with me, I'm afraid I won't be able to do much. Plus, instead of wasting your time on things you don't like, you can go and spend it on things you're sure to enjoy. In the end, though, it's up to you."_

_"… then I'll go. Thank you for the offer…?"_

_"Hayami Rinka," completed the sniper. She jabbed a thumb at the boy beside her. "And this is Chiba Ryunosuke. Let's go."_

_"Aa."_

::

“Hara Sumire-san.”

“Here.”

::

_“We too have to play, right? Against the Girls’ Basketball Club… What’s our game plan?”_

_“Ame-san… I don’t mean to offend, but I seriously doubt we actually have a chance at winning this,” pointed out Kataoka. “Most of us don’t even know how to play.”_

_“And the girls in that club are scary!” added Kurahashi, sweating nervously. “They’re really tall and strong!”_

_“Let’s just count on the boys to win this round for us, all right?” proposed Hara._

_Ame looked at each of the girls. All of them, even Rio, seemed pretty convinced they wouldn’t be able to win. She felt her guts churn, a weird taste invading her mouth._

_It wasn’t exactly defeated. More like… disappointment._

_“So what, you’re giving up without even trying?” She scoffed, leaning back in her seat. “That’s_ pathetic _.”_

::

“Fuwa Yuzuki-san.”

“Here!”

::

 _“Right! So walk around acting like those kids, looking down your noses at the whole world!” instructed Korosensei. “High and mighty but still mysterious! You know things other people don’t know! You’re above everyone else!_ That’s _how you have to act.”_

_As one, all of the students turned to Ame. It took the girl a few seconds to notice how they were all staring at her but, once she did, she scowled._

_“Aa? Why are you looking at me like that?”_

_“You fit the bill perfectly,” sweatdropped Kimura._

_“Ne, Ame-chan, have you ever come here before?” then wondered Yada._

_“Ooh, that could explain a lot!” remarked Fuwa. She was suddenly before Ame, her eyes sparkling. “Oh my God, are you actually the heiress of a super-duper important company who got involved with those shady deals, but then you were disowned as you tried to break away from that dark world and that’s how you ended up with no money!?”_

_“… no?”_

_“Dang it!”_

::

“Maehara Hiroto-kun.”

“Aa.”

::

_“Hey, Naoki!” then called Maehara, coming to her. “How’d you know we wouldn’t be able to hit him?”_

_“He had experience and you didn’t,” she shrugged, cracking her neck. “Plus, you weren’t even holding your knife correctly.”_

_“What?”_

_Her lips twitching a little in faint amusement, she gestured for him to show her his hold. More curious than offended by now, he did as told. Nodding, she then showed him her own hold, comparing the two._

_“You’re holding it too far from the blade,” she pointed out. “If I do this—“_

_Without warning, she harshly brought her knife down on his, and easily knocked it out of his grasp. He gaped, startled._

_“It’s not balanced, so it’s easy to disarm you,” she pointed out, picking it up and handing it back._

_“You took me by surprise. I’ll hold it tighter in a fight—“_

_“Then not only will you lose focus, but you’ll also lose strength and last less long in a fight,” she cut him off. “You’ll be focusing on holding it tighter, maybe even unconsciously, and the strength you’ll use for your blows will be far bigger than if you simply handled it correctly.”_

_“Okay, okay, I get it,” he chuckled, properly humbled by her lesson. “So what, I do it like this?”_

_She placed his fingers with practiced ease, before comparing their holds. This time, they were much more similar, and she nodded in confirmation._

_“Exactly. Try hitting me.”_

_“What?”_

_She rolled her eyes. “Dude, just try it.”_

_Understanding she was serious, he hesitated for one more second, before bringing down his knife on her. Her arm snapped up instantly, her own rubber weapon blocking his with practiced ease._

_“See?” she grinned as he stepped back. “Had you been holding it the way you were a minute ago, your knife would have been knocked out of your hand and you would have found yourself weaponless.”_

_“Yeah, I saw the difference,” he confirmed, weighing his knife with newfound interest. He grinned at her. “Thanks a bunch, Naoki!”_

_“Just call me Ame,” she shrugged, not really caring. “And sure thing. I’m up for a spar any time if you’re interested.”_

::

“Mimura Kouki-kun.”

“Here.”

::

_Ame was heading back to the girls’ room but, as she passed the boys’, she noticed they were all still awake. She couldn’t help but wonder what they were talking about, considering it was getting rather late. So, without a noise, she slipped in between the half-opened doors and casually went to sit just behind Takebayashi and Kimura. None of the boys noticed her, completely engrossed by whatever they were doing and a paper that was going around._

_“—Well, I just want to know who likes who,” remarked Mimura._

_“I can’t pick just one!” cried Okajima in the background._

_“Other than you, Okajima,” sweatdropped Sugaya._

_“Hey, who do you like, Nagisa?” then wondered Maehara._

_“Uh? I- I—“_

_“What about you, Maehara?” then retorted Sugino, saving his friend from the embarrassment. “Anyone?”_

_“Who, me?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “My lips are sealed.”_

_“That pisses me off! And when I think of how popular guys like you are, it pisses me off even more!” protested Mimura._

::

“Muramatsu Takuya-kun.”

“Yeah.”

::

_“Incoming!”_

_“I got it!”_

_Kurahashi jumped but missed. Ame instantly threw her knife, hitting the ball with enough strength to return it to their opponents. Too surprised by the impromptu move, they didn’t react fast enough to stop it from hitting the ground._

_“Hey, that’s cheating!” protested Muramatsu._

_“Never heard of a rule stating you can’t throw your knife,” shrugged Ame, smug._

::

“Yada Touka-san.”

“Here!”

::

_“… that’s it?” blinked Rio, confused. “Don’t you have an actual strategy, or—“_

_“A strategy that involves me doing this alone? Yes,” retorted bluntly the girl. “Pass me the ball and there shouldn’t be any trouble.”_

_On that note, she headed to the middle of the field so that they could start the game as fast as possible._

_“… We really let her down, haven’t we?” then remarked Yada, lowering her eyes._

_“I can’t really be helped, though,” pointed out Okano, rubbing the back of her head. “I mean, look at us! There’s no way we can win against that.”_

_They all looked back to the enemy team, which had now spread on the field. Ame was having a stare-down with the Club Captain, who was one good head taller than her, at least._

_“Ugh, let’s just get this over with,” sighed Rio, heading on the field. “The faster the better.”_

_Wanting this to be over as soon as possible, the rest of the girls nodded in agreement before going to take their positions._

::

“Yoshida Taisei-kun.”

“Here…!”

::

_“What are we gonna do!?” Yoshida was straight-out panicking. “At this rate, a lot of us will die! Damn it, we didn’t come here to be killed!”_

_“None of us will die or be killed!” snapped Ame, harshly hitting him over the head to knock some sense back into him. “Get your shit together! Isn’t the answer simple? We know where our target is and we know what’s on the line. What are we still doing here, then?”_

_“W- wait!” protested Fuwa. “Didn’t he say to only send you and Nagisa?”_

_“It’s too dicey to do what he says,” replied Terasaka, shaking a little. “Send the smaller guy and the girl with a target on her back? We’d be basically offering him hostages! First off, I’m pissed at anyone who would even do this kinda thing. No one lays a finger on my cohorts!”_

_“You can say ‘friends’ you tsundere,” replied flatly Ame._

_“Shut it! And I say we ignore his demands! Let’s get everyone to a Tokyo hospital!”_

::

“Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery—Ritsu-san.”

“Here.”

::

_“Naoki-san!” she greeted. “Have you forgotten something?”_

_“Actually, I’m here for you.” Ame went to stand before her, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ll cut to the bullshit right now: we both know your creators are coming over as we speak, and they’re going to turn you back into a lifeless machine. Unfortunately, we can’t do anything about this.”_

_“But Korosensei has upgraded me. He has made me even stronger,” pointed out Ritsu, confused. “Why would my Master not approve?”_

_“Because you’re no longer a killing machine solely focused on the assassination,” replied bluntly the teen. “And look, having you on our side could be a pretty great advantage. Plus, as you are now, you’re more than just a robot. Whatever Korosensei did to you worked, and you’ve developed an actual consciousness. You’ve realized it too, haven’t you?”_

_Ritsu lowered her eyes. “… yes. But what- what can I do? I cannot disobey my Master. I must do what he asks of me—“_

_“Ritsu, parents don’t always know what’s best for us,” retorted Ame, rolling her eyes a little_. I can’t believe I’m treating her like an actual person, but might as well go all the way now _. “As children, it’s our place to learn by ourselves too, be it through our successes and our failures. Look, I’m here to help you so that you don’t become a good little box o’ bolts again. Whether you decide to accept my help is up to you, but you have to choose now. We don’t have much time.”_

_The purple-haired girl bit her lower lip, before nodding slowly. “Very well. Please, do what you must. I trust you, Naoki-san.”_

_At that, a small smile graced Ame’s lips. “You got it.”_

::

“Horibe Itona-kun.”

“Here.”

::

_“Itona-kun?” The boy glanced at her, obviously still a little in shock at what had just happened. “I’m Ame, one of your new classmates. I was just wondering… do you have any place to stay?”_

_He frowned at that. “I used to live in the lab, but now…”_

_She grinned at that, grabbing his hand. “Then come on! You can stay at my place”_

_“… uh?”_

_“What a wonderful idea, Naoki-san!” nodded Korosensei. “That way you can come to school together tomorrow. I’ll drop off some uniforms at your house. See you tomorrow!”_

_And he was gone in a flash. Itona blinked a few times, making Ame laugh._

_“You’ll get used to it,” she assured._

_“… why are you doing this?” the boy asked, frowning slightly. “You’re the girl Shiro tried to kill, aren’t you? And I helped him…”_

_“Maa, maa, who hasn’t tried to kill me?” she joked, dragging him along. “It’s all water under the bridge, don’t worry. Though, I can’t really lie and say I don’t have an ulterior motive… But no matter! For now, let’s just go home. You can spend the night, and we’ll take more in the morning about your situation. How about that?”_

_“… It sounds manageable,” he finally agreed._

_“Great! So, while we’re heading there, why don’t you tell me more about Shiro and that Organization, hm?”_

::

Ame shuddered slightly as memories washed upon her, one after the other. There were many things she had expected from her third year of junior high-school, but an assassination classroom, a world-saving mission, and a monster teacher had not been part of those. Her secrets had been revealed one after the other, she had become a target herself, and her life had been put in danger more times than she cared to count… but she couldn’t bring herself to regret a single bit of that wonderful, insane, amazing year.

“It was a really… really fun year. I’m so happy… to be killed by you all.”

It was time. Ame could only watch as Nagisa lifted his knife… before freezing in place, his hands shaking too badly for him to hit his target. After a few tensed seconds, Korosensei reached out and, with a single tentacle against the boy’s neck, he managed to calm him down.

“Don’t kill me feeling like _that,”_ he chided lightly. “Calm yourself. Smile.”

Instead, Nagisa cried. He sobbed but, through his tears, he finally managed to find the strength to straighten up… and smile.

“Goodbye, Korosensei.”

“Yes—goodbye.”

And, at last… Nagisa thrust his knife forward and struck true, the rubber weapon slipping through the tie and hitting its target head-on. A moment later, a golden glow started emanating from the wound, and then the octopus’s entire body lit up. Gentle sparks as soft and round as snowflakes made of golden light started rising, and the students momentarily forgot their pain and their regrets, captivated by the beautiful spectacle.

_“Congratulations on your graduation.”_

And then…

Then, it was over.

Just like that.

Ame could only stare dumbly at the ground on which she was now sitting. The tentacle she had been straddling had disappeared entirely, and so had their teacher’s entire body—only his clothes and his tie remained. In the background, she could faintly make out the sobs and cries of her classmates, and Nagisa’s particularly agonized shouting… but she couldn’t move. She wanted to get up and go comfort them, to do _something,_ but her entire body was frozen in place and all she could do was stare down.

A wet splotch fell on the dirt underneath her. Then another, and a third one.

_Funny… I didn’t realize it was raining…_

Her eyes were burning. Why were her eyes burning? She could hardly see anything now, her sight all blurry and watery—

_Oh._

Slowly, she straightened up, bringing a shaking hand up to her face. After a few seconds, she pulled her fingers away, and the moisture she found on them made her realize that she wasn’t dreaming—she was crying.

_I can’t remember… when was the last time I cried…_

Not for her parents’ death. Not for Yukimura-sensei’s death.

Not when Inu betrayed her. Not when she almost died.

But she was crying now, and the pain kept on building up in her chest, the pressure growing too great to bear, and she was starting to have a hard time breathing _what do I do what do I do—_

“Ame- Ame-san.” She stiffened as two arms wrapped around her, her breathing short and ragged, and she looked to the side, where she found Isogai kneeling beside her, his embrace warm and tight and comforting. He, too, was crying. “It’s- it’s okay. Let it out.”

_Let it out._

There was no reason to act tough, no reason to try and hide her pain. As if a dam was suddenly broken by those simple words, an agonized wail clawed its way out of her throat and echoed throughout the entire field, and the tears kept on pouring out as she cried—for all the things she never got to tell him, for all the times she could have done something _more,_ for all the people she never cried for in the past. She cried for Korosensei, and for the almost unbearable emptiness his loss now left in her heart.

She didn’t know for how long she cried, nor how she somehow ended up crying in his arms the whole time and, while she would have usually been embarrassed by the unexpected contact, she decided to simply roll with it and welcome the much-needed emotional support. And, after a while, the class eventually settled down. Now that everything was said and done, exhaustion had caught up to them and, as if reality hadn’t truly sunk in for any of them yet, they all slowly rose back to their feet and, on a silent accord, found their way back to their classroom.

Once there, they found three things on each of their desks none of them expected: a diploma, a yearbook, and _Korosensei’s Rules to Live By._

“What the hell…” muttered Ame, her voice hoarse and tired.

She was amused, exasperated, and also nostalgic. The two books on her desk were twice the size of the guide Korosensei had made for them that time they had to assassinate him in Kyoto. At that point, everyone had stopped crying and just felt… well, numb, so they all sat down in silence to contemplate the gifts Korosensei had left for them. The incredibly thick book of advice started with a personalized, easy-to-read manga, but after that… Well, it derailed into _way_ too many details, and everyone quickly got fed up with them.

As the students around her all started falling asleep one after the other, though, she fought off sleep a little longer to take a look at the yearbook. In it, over hundreds of pictures had been carefully edited and put together, and her heart clenched as memories crashed upon her once again. The good times, the bad times, the fun ones and the tough ones, their failures and their successes… All of those pictures were proof of how much they had learned, but also of how much they still _had_ to learn.

Unfortunately, Korosensei would no longer be there to teach them.

::

_“So? Did you finally decide what you wanted to do, Naoki-san?”_

_“I’m going to turn this world upside-down, Korosensei! So you better watch carefully as I rise to the top!”_

_“Niryufufufu! Wonderful to hear, Naoki-san. Though, as per usual, you gave me an answer without truly giving me one… As expected of a professional info-broker, I suppose. In any case, I look forward to watching you grow even more, Naoki-san.”_

_“You can count on it!”_

::

_Korosensei… At that time, you already had an idea of what kind of Fate awaited you, didn’t you? In the end, all you truly wanted was to die at the hands of your students… Even if you’re no longer there to guide me, though, I swear… I swear I’ll become… an adult you can be proud of…_

_Goodbye, Korosensei._

_Rest well._


	40. Fortieth Period: Future Time

“The target is gone and the Earth is saved. Thanks for all of your hard work this past year. I imagine there are some things you’ll find hard to swallow. You’ll have all eyes on you for a while, I’m afraid, and I’m sure they’ll be asking to keep mum on confidential matters. Of course, I’ll do my utmost to protect you, but allow me to apologize in advance.”

As he bowed, Ame couldn’t help but snort. “Being so formal with us doesn’t suit you, Karasuma-sensei. Even if the mission’s over with, you’re still our teacher.”

“Don’t worry about it,” added Maehara with a small smile. “We’ll do our best to get this settled peacefully, too.”

“We don’t want to complicate things for you,” nodded Okano.

Waking up with the sun the next morning, Ame had been very surprised to realize that, while the loss was still fresh in her mind, she already felt better. Maybe it was because she had already cried all of the meager tears she had left, or maybe because she had already resolved herself to moving forward with her head held high—either way, she no longer felt that heart-wrenching agony that had been ripping her apart the night before, and now?

_There’s so much I have to do… I can’t wait to get started!_

And, thankfully enough, the rest of her classmates seemingly shared the sentiment. No more tears were shed, knowing smiles had been exchanged, and they had even taken the time to take a better look at the yearbook, until Karasuma and Irina dropped by to officially conclude the matter of the assassination mission.

Kataoka rose to her feet. “In return, we _do_ have one request. Please, let us attend Kunugigaoka’s graduation ceremony today. Our days spent battling with the main campus are yet another precious memory we made with Korosensei, after all.”

At that, Karasuma smiled. “Of course—I’ll arrange it. After all, that’s why I’m here.”

Isogai smiled at that, also jumping to his feet. “All students: stand up!” Everyone did as told, and Karasuma’s eyes widened slightly as, at once, they all bowed before him. “Karasuma-sensei, Bitch-sensei—you taught us so much. Thank you very much!”

“THANK YOU VERY MUCH!” chorused the E-Class.

Once the formalities were done and over with, the students finally left their desks to mingle together, acting as if it was yet another normal day of school. And, despite everything that had happened, it really was just that—another day of school.

“So where _is_ graduation, anyway?”

“School’s locked up tight. Looks like it’s at the civic center.”

“We’ll need our folks to bring by our uniforms, uh?”

Seeing her classmates act so normally brought a smile to Ame’s face. In the end, she was glad that what had happened hadn’t broken the bond they had built over the last year—if anything, it had only _strengthened_ it. Thinking back to the night before, though, she then remembered a small detail that had escaped her before.

“Ne, Isogai-kun…” The boy looked at her when she joined him, curious. “Last night, when you came to help me…”

“Ah, that? W- well, it simply looked like you were having trouble breathing, and I was- I was afraid you might have gone into shock,” he stuttered out, his cheeks reddening a bit. “I was- I was a tad caught up in the moment, but I apologize if it made you uncomfortable—“

She chuckled at that, shaking her head lightly. “It’s okay, Isogai-kun. To be honest… I was at a lost as to what to do, until you came along. So… thank you. It- it really meant a lot to me.”

Surprised, he then smiled. “Any time, Ame-san.”

“Drop the _san_ already, would you?” she snorted, rolling her eyes. “After everything we’ve been through, I’m surprised _everyone_ here isn’t already on a first-name basis.”

“… well, in that case, call me Yuuma.” His smile widened as she startled a bit. “I suppose you’re right: we’re well past formalities at that point.”

“We—“

At once, Maehara appeared between the two of them, slinging an arm over each of their necks as he brought them closer to him, grinning from ear to ear.

“Hey, hey! Everyone’s heading down the mountain now, so if you two are quite done flirting…~”

Without hesitation, the two concerned parties heaved out matching sighs and, at once, lifted their fists to knock them down on the flirt’s skull. While he cradled his head with a moan of pain, effectively releasing them, the two exchanged a slightly embarrassed smile, before heading out along with the rest of the class.

* * *

.

.

Getting to the civic center where the graduation was to be held had been a rather eventful venture, but they somehow managed to all make it there in one piece. After quickly getting changed into their uniforms, which had been provided by the Principal himself after Karasuma contacted him about the matter, the E-Class was swiftly ushered inside before the journalists and paparazzi could get a word in.

All around them, the gazes of their fellow schoolmates were heavy and wary, and there was simply no stopping the rumor mill. However, the E-Class had long since gotten used to stares and whispers and, as such, they took their seats with their head held high, and the ceremony finally began. Ame didn’t really pay attention as everyone was called up on the stage one after the other, already thinking over everything she needed to do now that her future was knocking at her door.

_The next two years at Kunugigaoka Senior High School will be packed to the brim with the normal course, the extra-classes I’ll be taking in the evenings to get ahead of the traditional college lawyering courses, and the advanced training I’ll start receiving from Saru. Then, my third year will be spent in America, where I’ll be pursuing my studies independently in order to get a diploma and a license in the fourth year, at most, all the while receiving specialized training and hand-on experience from the field with Saru’s contacts in New York._

_And after all of that, once I have all of the tools I need at my disposal, I’ll—_

“Naoki Ame.”

She swiftly rose to her feet, as if she hadn’t been lost in thoughts up until now. “Aa.”

Silently making her way over to the stage, she met the gaze of the Principal head-on, which made him smile—like, _actually_ smile.

“I saw you enrolled in Kunugigaoka again. I’m looking forward to having you in the A-Class.”

She smirked at that, bowing as she took the diploma he was handing her. “Not afraid I might kick your son off his little throne?”

He chuckled lightly at that. “Some competition will do him good. I look forward to seeing what kind of changes you will bring about in this world, Naoki-san.”

“Thank you.”

With one last bow, she then returned to her seat, her diploma in hands and her future just ahead of her.

* * *

_Everything is planned out._

_Every problem has been resolved._

_Every problem… saved for one._

“Ame-san—I mean, Ame.”

“Hmm? What is it, Yuuma-kun?”

The ceremony was over, and they were now in the main hall, awaiting their lift. Ame had managed to convince her grandmother not to come, seeing as she didn’t want her or the kids to get caught up in the mess with the journalists, but a few other students were now conversing with their respective families. Isogai was right next to her, though, also alone, and visibly nervous.

_I’ve been pushing the matter away, ignoring it to the best of my abilities, but I can’t possibly let things end like this. It’s… it’s now or never._

_I need to be honest with Isogai—I mean, Yuuma, no matter what his answer might be._

“Actually, I’m glad you’re here, ‘cause I need to tell you something important,” she admitted, feeling strangely calm and levelheaded now that she faced her final obstacle. “Though, go ahead—you spoke up first.”

“W- well… It’s just… We’ve shared many experiences during the past year, Ame, and I’ve come to realize… I’ve come to realize that I like you—and not just as a friend.” Biting his lower lip, he then bowed deeply. “Ame-san, will you please go out with me?”

…

…

…

After a few seconds of very tensed silence… Ame started laughing. It started off as soft chuckles, until it turned into a full-blown laughter. It wasn’t mocking or taunting, though—merely joyous, and relieved, which made Isogai tilt his head in confusion. Did she not take him seriously…?

“Ah, geez! And here I thought I didn’t stand a chance,” she admitted, grinning a bit. “I really wasn’t sure of how to breach the subject, but it looks like you beat me to the punch, uh?”

Isogai’s eyes widened slightly. “You- you mean—!?”

“Yes, Yuuma-kun—I’d love to go out with you.”

At any other time, Ame would have been embarrassed beyond measure. Love and romance was _not_ her field of expertise, and she had no experience whatsoever. And yet, now that the truth was finally out in the open… she just felt happy. Giddy, even. Apparently just as glad as she was, Isogai smiled brightly. Before he could say anything else, though, Maehara, Rio, and Karma suddenly got the drop on them.

“Oh, finally!”

“About damn time, you two!”

“Man, I was hoping Ame would get a little more embarrassed…”

“You- you guys!” This time, Ame _did_ blush a bit. “How long have you been there!?”

Rio grinned, showing her her phone. “Long enough to get a full video of this lovely confession.”

“Wha—give it here!!!”

“Never!”

Ame instantly gave chase, the blonde taking off in a heartbeat, and the two of them soon found themselves running around the entire hall, while most of the boys who had been nearby—meaning _eavesdropping—_ went up to Isogai to congratulate him. Just as Ame managed to get her hands on Rio, though, the doors of the civic center burst open.

“The ceremony’s over!”

“It’s interview time!”

“E-Class, a word!!!”

Karasuma instantly stepped in, while the E-Class retreated to the back of the room. “This place is off-limits!”

Dozens and dozens of journalists were now trying to break through the security perimeter Karasuma had set up and, though the agents in place _did_ manage to stop most of the swarm, a few of the journalists and cameraman managed to slip through their defenses.

“Everyone! There’s a bus standing by outside the main gate!”

_Easier said than done! How are we supposed to get outside without getting maimed!?_

“What truly happened?”

“How do you feel?”

“Did you really kill the monster!?”

Just as Ame was about to snap and punch the living daylights out of the nearest journalist that had just tried to grab her, though, a large banner sporting Kunugigaoka’s colors and emblem was suddenly lifted above their heads, and it took a few seconds for Ame to realize that the students now standing between the E-Class and those vultures were none other than the Big Five themselves.

“Oi, brats! Quit meddling with our coverage!” snapped a cameraman, who could no longer film the E-Class now that they were hidden under that banner.

With synchronized movement, they started advancing through the crowd, completely shielding the E-Class from view and keeping the journalists at bay.

“ _You_ quit meddling with our moment in the sun!” snapped Sero, annoyed.

“After a little editing, I might just release this online,” taunted Araki, his own camera rolling and filming the wild crowd before them.

“We know what you look like!” warned Koyama, chuckling darkly.

“Now, let us escort you to the front gate,” urged Sakakibara, whom Sugino was trying to ward away from Kanzaki.

“Gakushu… Why?” asked Ame, genuinely clueless. “You don’t owe us anything like that.”

“It’s not about _owing_ , Ame. Our ties and relationship end today, for the most part, but we _are_ still students who studied at the same school,” he replied simply. He glanced back at her, smirking a little. “To abandon you now would bring shame upon your ruler—me.”

“Ruler, uh? Careful, or your head won’t pass the doors,” she sweatdropped.

His smirk simply widened, if possible, and they finally made it outside. With the help of the rest of the students of the A-Class, the journalists stuck outside were pushed out of the way, and a safe passage to the bus was created. The students wasted no time in climbing aboard, briefly thanking their unexpected saviors as they did so.

“Ame, Akabane,” called out Asano as they entered the bus. “Seems you’re the only ones staying here. Once all this blows over, I’ll string you up and make you spill the beans.” At that, he smiled confidently—but there was no harshness in it, merely a genuine eagerness. “You’ll tell me about this Korosensei guy who actually managed to get you all this far.”

“Well, I don’t mind,” mused Karma in a light tone. “But with your hard head, you might struggle to understand it all.”

Rolling her eyes, Ame pushed him inside. “Alright, alright, no need to taunt him before the school year even starts. You two can start over with your rivalry after the summer.”

“Ooh? You don’t consider yourself our rival, then, Ame?” remarked Gakushu, amused.

“Why bother? I’ll claim the first place and stay there—you two can fight all you want for the crown of second-best, I don’t care.”

Surprised, Gakushu then outright laughed, and Ame finally climbed aboard too. Once there, she found Isogai sitting at the front, with a free seat next to him. She sat down, exchanging a smile with the boy—her _boyfriend,_ how the hell did that happened, seriously?—as the bus finally started moving… and then, it dawned on her.

_It’s over._

_Everything’s over now._

_And yet… everything is only just starting._

“Ne, Ame?” Rio leaned over her seat to look at her friend. “You know, I just realized, but you never _did_ tell me what your goal is. I get that you want to become a lawyer, and the Leader of the Zodiac, but what’s your endgame?”

“Uh? Oh, that’s simple, really,” shrugged Ame, before offering her friend a feral grin. “The utter and complete eradication of the Underworld.”

…

…

…

“WHAT!?” exclaimed the rest of her classmates, who had been listening in.

“You heard me! Drug rings, black market, human trafficking, corruption, _assassination_ —all of that and more will disappear,” she assured, her eyes alight with determination. “The entire Underworld is my target and, once my knife has been sharpened enough with the right tools and the needed experience, I’ll _strike_ —and it’ll be a fatal blow.”

_In the end, I might not be able to become a Hero… but it doesn’t mean I leave this world a little better than I found it._

_You were right to believe in me, Korosensei—and I’ll prove it._

* * *

Kunugigaoka suffered heavy social damage for allowing its students to be put into the line of fire. The E-Class system was also seen as problematic and was later on abolished—meaning the E-Class campus was officially shut down, too. Principal Asano also had to relinquish his administrative rights

The thirty billion bounty was paid in full, but it was both their reward for completing the mission, and hush money for keeping mum on the details of said mission. After much discussion, though, it was agreed that each student would take a share in order to pay for their tuition and live on their own, but most of it was used for a single group purchase: the E-Class campus and mountain themselves. As for the rest of the money, they donated most of it to various establishments, before giving back what was left to the government.

Ame had had a difficult time explaining the entire situation to her family—mainly because the children kept on interrupting her, though. In the end, however, she didn’t have much convincing to do: after having witnessed for herself how much Ame had grown in the past year, her grandmother easily understood that her teacher hadn’t been as bad as the media and the government made him out to be. As for the kids, well, they were mostly angry about the fact that Ame never told them anything before, but that problem was quickly solved with a few sugary bribes.

The moon began to crumble, slowly but surely. Under its own gravity, it would eventually end up a much smaller sphere than before. The explosion had also brought it closer to Earth, so after a while, its size, shape, gravity, and orbit would start to look and feel very similar to the way it was before its destruction.

All in all, things were now moving forward, and so did the students of the E-Class.

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_Seven Years Later_

_Japan, Ministry of Defense_

_._

_._

“There’s been some dangerous movement from an organization that incites violence in the Middle East. The plan is to send in a secret agent to infiltrate their group. You’ll head there tomorrow, Irina.”

“Okay, sure.” The blonde then smirked lightly. “But I’m scared, Chief Karasuma. If a gorgeous woman like me gets captured in dangerous territory…” She sat on his desk, amused. “Or does the thought actually turns you on? Picturing your wife having all kinds of things done to her…”

Karasuma stared at her, unperturbed by her seduction attempt. “I asked you to go because I had faith in your abilities. But if that’s really how you see yourself…” His eyes narrowed slightly as he pulled away from her. “Then I have no choice. I’ll ask someone else.”

“Uh!? But—ah, wait!” She latched onto him as he started heading for the door. “I was joking! I just wanted you to show a little concern! Come _on,_ sweetie!”

“Wow, you two haven’t changed at all, have you?”

Husband and wife stiffened and, in a heartbeat, they had spun around while pulling out their guns, instantly aiming it at the intruder now sitting on the windowsill. It took the two of them a few seconds to recognize the woman before them, and said woman’s grin widened slightly.

“Yo. Long time no see, Karasuma-sensei, Bitch-sensei.”

“Naoki,” grunted Karasuma, lowering his gun. “It looks like you haven’t changed either. Can’t you use a door for once in your life?”

“But that’d be boring, wouldn’t it?”

The last time either Karasuma or Irina had seen Naoki Ame in the flesh was two years earlier, when her little troupe of info-brokers got involved in an affair of corruption and fund embezzlement some higher-ups of the government had been trying to hide. They had ended up working the case together but, after that, she had once again disappeared into the wild.

She had grown, becoming jut a little taller than Irina. She was a tad on the lanky side, but she still moved gracefully and without a sound, and her muscles were subtle, but define—truly the body of a professional info-broker. Her long black hair was let loose, and her orange eyes shone with a life experience she could have only gained with age, but also the same mirth and mysteriousness she sported when they first met her, back at Kunugigaoka.

“Here.” She offered the man a large, thick file. “Take it as a late gift for your engagement. Congratulations, by the way. I would have come, but I was a little caught up at the time.”

Irina’s eyes widened slightly as she looked into the file. “That’s- that’s info on the organization I was about to infiltrate! How did you—“

“I already have my people working on it. We’re not really fond of terrorists, you see.”

Karasuma pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can you _not_ indirectly mention your _criminal_ contacts in the office of the Chief of the Ministry of Defense?”

“Maa, maa, live a little! It’s not like we’re doing anything bad, is it?” She paused, thinking it over, before shrugging carelessly. “Mostly, anyway. Gotta keep food on the table, still.”

“And your work as an international lawyer doesn’t bring in enough? Allow me to doubt that—even more so considering how infamous you’ve become in the span of barely three years,” replied flatly Irina, before softening slightly. “But, for what it’s worth… good job, Ame. You’ve been doing good out there.”

At that, Ame’s smirk turned into a genuine smile. “I try! Gotta make Korosensei proud, you know?”

“Even if your methods are unorthodox and often illegal—for not saying most of the time—I daresay you’re doing a good job of it,” finally admitted Karasuma, putting the file on his desk. He offered her a small smile. “You’ve truly outdone yourself, Naoki.”

“Just doing what I do best—meddling, gathering info, and kicking some bastards right into prison,” she summarized, amused. “Anyway, I can’t stay for too long—there’s a get-together that’s been a long time coming, and I don’t want to miss it.” She then pointed at the file she had just given them. “You guys can thank me later for the money, alright?”

“Money? What money?” blinked Irina, now confused.

“It’s in the file. Didn’t I tell you it’s a late gift for your engagement?” She pulled out her phone, quickly typing something. “There ought to be enough in there for you two to pay yourselves another nice honeymoon, so pick somewhere nice and have fun.”

“Naoki, we have work—“

“Actually, I already scheduled your vacations in two weeks’ time,” replied the teen, grinning again as she showed them their _personal_ schedules, on _her_ phone. “It’s in the system already, so might as well roll with it and enjoy it, right?”

“What— _stop hacking into government property!!!”_

“Later~!”

With a joyful laugh, Ame then proceeded to jump from the windowsill, gracefully landing on the grass below before swiftly summersaulting over the fence, and then going on her merry way down the street, as if she hadn’t just broken into the Ministry of Defense itself. Karasuma and Irina watched her go, a tad dumbstruck by her short and impromptu visit, and the man finally heaved out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples.

“Even after all this time, she still gives me a headache…” he muttered under his breath.

“Well, it looks like I don’t need to leave after all,” mused Irina, sparing a glance for the file on his desk. “I suppose I should thank her later for the gift.”

“What? We are _not_ taking this information—“

“Oh, _please,”_ his wife huffed, rolling her eyes. “As if you _never_ accepted questionable information from that girl before. Just because it’s the first time she delivers it in person doesn’t mean I never noticed the name _Kitsune_ in your contacts.”

Karasuma stiffened slightly at that, before slumping in defeat. “She’s always three steps ahead of everything… There’s no fighting it…”

Irina simply chuckled, patting his shoulder. She knew that, no matter how tough or righteous he tried to act sometimes, he was still grateful for his former student’s help. After all, even though Ame had become quite famous as a lawyer in the past few years, she was also leading her double-life as a member of the Zodiac—or rather, as its Leader. In other words, she had numerous contacts all around the world, with access to every single black market, and first-hand knowledge of whatever made the Underworld work.

 _That being said, she’s also put herself in the best position to make it crumble from the inside which, ultimately, was her goal, if I recall correctly,_ mused internally Irina, instinctively lifting her eyes to the crumbled moon outside. _Korosensei… You’d be proud of the woman she’s become._

* * *

.

.

The life-plan Ame had established on the day of graduation had been followed to the letter: two years of study in Kunugigaoka, and a third one in America. The year spent on foreign soil had been… peculiar, to say the least. She had met a number of very interesting people, she had made friends all over one of the most powerful countries in the world, and she even toppled another world-class threat while she was at it, because she really was used to it at that point.

Making a name for herself as a lawyer hadn’t been all that difficult, to be fair. With people working on all sides of the law, she had managed to bring to justice a large ring of sex trafficking _and_ their not-so-anonymous clients—and, needless to say, finding numerous of their political and military figures involved in that nasty business made the American people more than a little angry. And, after successfully concluding the case in court with iron-clad proofs and enough money to _un_ -bribe the various judges—she stole that money from the accounts of the people she was working on sending to jail, because she figured it was a nice way to make them pay even more for their wretched activities—she became incredibly famous.

Taking down parts of the Underworld bit by bit all the while expanding her web of connections, Ame eventually concluded her business in America and returned to Japan, where she finally took the mantle of Leader of the Zodiac. Saru was still around, of course, but he had long since stopped calling the shots—even before Ame officially became Leader.

Once all of the members settled down in the new routine, though, their work _tripled._ With so many sources of information to manage at once, and more people either uniting to try and go against them, or licking their boots in hopes that they wouldn’t become the next target, the Zodiac members had their hands full.

Ame was swarmed with work, on both ends of the lawful spectrum. If leading a double-life before had been hard, it couldn’t compare to what it had become. She worked relentlessly, rarely giving herself a break—she couldn’t afford one, not if she wanted to settle her position in the Underworld as quickly as she could manage, not until she became absolutely _untouchable,_ in every sense of the word.

She sharpened her blades, worked out numerous backup plans, exploited every single weakness she managed to find—she put into practice every single lesson Korosensei had taught her. As lazy as she could be, Ame was also determined, and she wouldn’t rest until she knew for certain that her _real_ target was fully cornered and incapacitated.

 _The plan is in motion, now. I’ve done everything I could._ Hands in her pockets, she stared up at the mountain before her—it was a lot smaller than she remembered it to be, and the sight was nostalgic. _One could say I’m only really starting now, uh? Korosensei would say that I’m only at the starting line…_ The thought of her teacher brought a small smile to her lips. _But it’s okay. I’m ready to do whatever it takes, so as to leave this world better than I found it, just like I promised._

_Today, though… Today, I think I can allow myself to rest for a bit._

* * *

.

.

“Yo! Miss TV Drama Actress!”

“Everyone!”

Seven years hadn’t changed the former E-Class campus much, saved for the fact that it needed some serious tidying up. So, at least once a year, all of the former students who weren’t too busy at the time dropped by for a day of cleaning and catching up with each other as a group.

“Kaede-chan, are you in costume?” asked Yada, curious. “Are you sure you’re not too busy?”

“Actually, I snuck out during a break,” admitted Kayano, chuckling sheepishly. “I can’t always let you guys do all the work, after all.”

“Alright, everyone!” called out Isogai. “Let’s get started!”

“Yeah!!!” cheered the others.

“Ooh? Once class representative, always class representative,” teased Kataoka.

“Well, you all practically forced me to hold on to the key,” sweatdropped the man.

“This kind of stuff has always been best left to you,” replied Maehara, amused. He then slung an arm around his friend’s shoulders as they started heading inside. “On another subject entirely, do you know if Ame’s gonna drop by?”

“Ah, yes, she promised she’d come today.”

“Really? That’s great! Been a while since I saw her… And how are you two doing, anyway?”

“A- actually…”

After a moment of hesitation, Isogai carefully pulled out a small, square box he had been hiding in his pocket. It took Maehara a few seconds to understand what he meant by that and, as soon as he did, his eyes widened almost comically.

“For- for real!?”

“Shh! No one knows yet! I- I’ve been planning on asking her for a while, now, but her jobs have been keeping her pretty busy lately, so…”

“Ah, I get it, I get it,” chuckled Maehara, shaking his head. “Still, I’ll admit, I’m surprised you guys actually made it this far. You know, what with having to keep up a long-distance relationship, and then always being separated because of Ame’s jobs…”

“Well, it wasn’t easy at first,” relented Isogai, putting away the small box. A gentle smile then graced his lips. “But we both put in a lot of efforts, and… I love her. I really do. And I know she feels the same, too.”

Laughing, Maehara slapped his back. “I’m happy for you, man, I really am. Make sure to send me an invitation, alright?”

“Of course—“

“An invitation to what, exactly?”

Both men instantly tensed up, spinning around to find none other than Naoki Ame now standing right behind them, a bemused smile on her lips. Seeing their expressions, she laughed.

“Don’t worry, I literally just got here. So? What were you—“

“AME!!!”

“Whoa!”

All at once, all of the girls present rushed up to her, practically tackling her to the ground and trapping her underneath a dog pile of hugs. Laughing and wheezing a little, it took Ame a few minutes before she finally managed to extract herself and breathe in some much needed air.

“Sheesh… What was _that_ about, you guys?”

“Aah? We haven’t seen you in _four years,_ Ame-chan!” protested Kurahashi. “You’re always off somewhere in another country!”

“Right, we haven’t seen you since _that_ particular fiasco in New York, uh?” teased Fuwa.

“We’ve seen you on TV, though,” mused Kataoka. “Looks like you’re hitting it big, uh?”

“You’ve covered a lot of pretty amazing cases, Ame-chan,” recalled Hara, smiling like a proud mother. She pumped her fist in the air. “We’re cheering for you!”

“Everyone…” murmured Ame, honestly surprised. After a moment, she grinned. “It’s good to see you guys—and I swear, from now on, no more disappearing act if I can help it.”

“Did something happen?” asked curiously Kimura. “I thought for sure you’d run straight back to the airport as soon as you were done here.”

She shook her head, amused. “I’ve spent the last four years traveling all over the world to create a stable network of connections _and_ making myself a reputation. As of yesterday, all of the major obstacles that stood in my way before have been dealt with. From here on out, what’s ahead is a smooth road with a side bump from time to time—nothing that can’t be easily handled with a phone call or two.”

“And considering you’re an independent lawyer who earned herself world-wide recognition, the clients will be coming to you instead of you going to them,” understood Yada, nodding in understanding. She then clasped her hands together, smiling brightly. “That’s truly amazing, Ame-chan!”

“Though, now you have _four years_ to catch up on,” teased Maehara, poking her cheek. “I hope you’re ready for an earful.”

“Oh, please—just because I didn’t keep directly in touch with all of you doesn’t mean I didn’t keep an eye on you,” she replied, now smirking. She then pulled out her phone and started showing them… pictures? “I’ve seen your food blog, Hara-chan—really good recipes. And of course, I’ve been keeping up with Okajima’s photos in the magazines, and Akari’s dramas, and Mimura’s first short movie on the web—when’s the sequel, by the way? Also, I’ve read everything Fuwa-chan edited, and I’ve watched all of Sugino’s baseball games, and Kurahashi’s nature blog, and I’ve been keeping up with the secret research Takebayashi and Okuda-chan have started working on—“

“Okay, okay, now it’s just getting creepy,” sweatdropped Maehara, shaking his head.

“Well, that’s Ame-chan for you,” chuckled Kayano.

Ame rolled her eyes, putting her phone away. “All that to say: you’re my friends and, as such, I care. Is that really so bad?”

Isogai chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. “No one said that. Your methods are just a little unorthodox, but that’s nothing new, is it?”

“Point.” Shaking her head, she briefly pecked him on the cheek, before stealing the keys he had been holding on to, grinning. “Now, how about we all get to work? We didn’t come here to laze around!”

* * *

.

.

They worked for a few hours, fixing up the old building, repainting it, pulling out the bad weeds, cleaning the windows and the floors… After a while, they all settled down in the classroom for a lunch break.

“We should think about putting this place to some use, not just preserving it,” then remarked Isogai, putting down his drink. “You know—before we get busy with job-hunting.”

“Okano’s using the back of the mountain,” recalled Maehara. “She formed an acrobatic performance squad at her sports college. Said this is the training field she’s most used to. And then, there’s Kurahashi giving nature tours to kids.”

“Well, she’s always had her way of earning pocket money,” mused Ame. “My little brother, Jackie, is her assistant, too. I think he has a crush on her.”

“Then there’s Takebayashi and Okuda with their research on developing an artificial blood that can be transfused regardless of blood type,” mused Kayano, thinking about their friends who weren’t with them today. “Sugino-kun’s a college baseball ace, and Terasaka-kun got picked as apprentice by a professor politician.”

“Then there are Muramatsu-kun and Yoshida-kun, who are both taking over their family business,” continued Fuwa. “And Itona-kun is working in his family’s factory, isn’t it?”

Ame nodded in confirmation. “Straight out of high school. He’s living on his own, now, but he works with his father and drops by my house once a week for dinner with everyone.”

“And then there’s Ritsu, who’s gone completely online,” pointed out Yada. “Is she still working with the Zodiac?”

“More or less. She helps out if we really need her, but I try not to rely on her too much—she has her own life to live now, after all,” shrugged Ame.

Many more of their friends had already found jobs, or were in the process of earning one. Okajima was already selling professional pictures to renowned magazines, Kataoka was going to go on her first flight as a flight attendant in less than a month, Kanzaki was studying to become a nurse, Kimura was training hard to become a police officer like his parents, Sugaya was already working as Assistant-Director in an Art Museum, Rio was currently studying abroad in England to become an interpreter, Hazama had found herself a cozy library to work in… Another E-Class students who was already making waves in the job department was Karma, though—he had apparently passed the level 1 national civil service exam without breaking a sweat, and he was well on his way to becoming a perfect bureaucrat.

“And you, Maehara?” asked Ame, a tad too innocently. “How’s the modeling going?”

“Ack!”

At once, the poor guy spit out the mouthful of juice he had been about to swallow, while the others’ eyes widened with surprise.

“Modeling?” echoed Fuwa. “Maehara-kun, you’re a model!?”

“Can’t say that I’m surprised,” snorted Kataoka.

“But I didn’t see any pictures of you in the magazines,” remarked Hara, surprised.

Ame’s grin widened at that. “Oh, that’s because he’s in the R— _hmph_!”

“That’s quite enough out of you,” warned her friend, his eye twitching as he kept his hand over her mouth.

“Okay, okay, break it off,” chuckled Isogai, well aware that Ame would start biting soon if their friend didn’t remove his hand in the next three seconds. “Hey, Ame, will you come outside with me for a second? There’s something I’d like to talk about.”

She quirked an eyebrow, but nodded and followed him outside—though, not without shooting a warning glare at Maehara, who gulped slightly. His secret was safe for now, but who knew for how much longer?

They stepped outside, a gentle breeze picking up as the door closed behind them. They walked for a minute or so, putting some distance between themselves and the building. Ame wasn’t worried, though—if anything, it was a good opportunity to talk things out.

“So, you’ll be staying after all?” Isogai finally said, a small smile on his lips.

“Hmm. It would usually have taken ‘til January, but…” She reached out, intertwining her fingers with his. “You’ve waited for me long enough. I’m here, now, and here to stay.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” he admitted, squeezing her hand. He then brought her into a tight hug. “I missed you, Ame.”

“I missed you too, Yuu.”

They stayed like that for a while, simply enjoying the moment. Ame would usually drop by for a few weeks every four or five months but, with the big cases adding up and her pressing need to build up a proper sphere of influence, she couldn’t come home as often as she’d liked. Now that the bulk of the work had been dealt with, though, she’d finally be able to live a more stable life—or at least, as stable as it could be for the boss of an international, mafia-worthy organization of info-brokers.

“You wanted to talk?” she finally said, pulling away a bit.

He perked up at that. “Ah, yes! I wanted to—“

“Ah, wait! Before you say anything, I want to say something,” she admitted, a tad sheepish. He nodded, encouraging her to go on, and she breathed in deeply. “Yuu… Ever since that third year of junior-high school, you’ve been by my side. Through thick and thin, in highs and in lows, you were right there with me to support me, help me out, and believe in me. When came the time for me to leave, you urged me to spread my wings instead of clipping them. When I spent all of these months away, you could have given up on me, but you didn’t. Thanks to our mutual effort, but mostly thanks to your dedication, the strain the long-distance should have put on our relationship was almost nonexistent. And…” Her gripped tightened slightly, and she finally met his gaze head-on, her own warm and subtly loving. “We pulled through. No matter the obstacles we had to overcome, no matter the challenges we faced, no matter how _impossible_ I might be to live with from time to time… we pulled through, and we managed to make it this far. And now… now, more than ever, I’m certain of one thing: Yuuma, I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Then, she pulled out a small, black box, and opened it with a flick of her thumb, revealing a golden engagement ring. “So, I guess that what I’m asking is… will you marry me?”

At first genuinely shocked, Isogai then groaned, letting out a small laugh. “Ah, I suddenly have a small sense of déjà-vu. Looks like you’re the one who beat me to it this time around, uh?”

On which he also pulled out the box which contained the ring he had been about to offer her but, frankly, Ame didn’t look all that surprised—and it took only a second for Isogai to understand why, exactly.

“You knew,” he sighed, exasperated. He then shook his head, amused. “I take it that was payback for when I asked you out before you could do it?”

She grinned a that, a tad cheekily. “Maybe. Though, it won’t work if you don’t say _yes,_ you know?”

He outright laughed at that. “Fair enough.”

On which he leaned down and kissed her. It was gentle, understanding, happy—they were simply glad to be together again. Once he pulled away, she chuckled and leaned against him, simply enjoying being able to touch him again after so long.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Read my mind, then.”

She let him slip the ring on her finger first, before doing the same for him. Then, she looked up and smiled but, just as she was about to lean in for another kiss—

“CONGRATULATIONS!!!”

“Ack! _Loud!”_ whined Ame, slapping her hands over her ears.

Because _of course,_ their friends had been watching from afar. They had been kind enough to leave them be for a minute but, now that the moment had passed, they could no longer hold themselves back from joining in. The boys instantly congratulated Isogai, while the girls swarmed around Ame, already chatting excitedly about the venue, the themes, the dress—all the while Okajima took pictures, of course. And, as their friends cheered and surrounded them, all sharing in their happiness, Ame found herself looking up at the clear blue sky, in which was hanging the slowly reforming moon.

_Are you still watching, Korosensei?_

She had grown. She had two distinct families, and friends she could and _would_ trust with her life. Time had moved on since that fateful year, and so had all of the students of the E-Class. She became a feared lawyer, a respected Leader, and a well-loved woman. And, from here on out, despite all of the challenges she would still encounter, she knew for a fact she would be able to learn from each of those experience, and grow even more from them.

After all, such was the beauty of life.


End file.
